a new york times notable booka wonderful and wise novel a story told with unflinching courage and honesty and with keen insight into the most universal of all conditions the struggle of the human heart ken wells author of meely lebauvelyrical and honestmoynahan has created a wellwritten story dealing with loss and coming of age reminiscent of alice sebolds the lovely bones library journala smart young woman making her way through the privileged terrain of northeastern prepschool land alice mcguire is certain of her world and her future until the summer her best friend and soul mate matthew swan vanishes on a trip to mexico stunned alice and the rest of the closeknit town that adored matthew search for answers for alice the journey of heartbreak leads from everything that is familiar to forbidden places and forgotten people who will teach her about kindness and forgiveness lessons that will open her to new possibilities and unexpected hopevividly wrought deeply resonant and told in a remarkable voice that sparkles with wit and wisdom stone garden is a splendid triumph from an accomplished writer