I liked this but found it a mixed bag. It starts slowly, partly due to how it is structured with sections of the book set in Thailand in 2004 during the Boxing Day tsunami and sections filling in the narrative backstory contained with the titular atlas. It is ultimately well structured with both these narrative threads weaving together as the book goes on and the pacing it spot on adding depth as layers of intrigue are unravelled.

Unfortunately the characters and dialogue don't quite reach the same level. Much of the dialogue is exposition or feels unreal and many of the characters are too one-dimensional. Too much of the time characters and dialogue seem to be merely serving the plot rather than being fully fleshed out. Jay and Felipe, ever the diplomats, are particularly poorly served in this regard. The themes of fertility and family are too starkly drawn and become a bit repetitive and forced.

If Tracy Buchanan can add a bit more shading to her characters, dialogue and themes to go with her intricate plotting and lush description of landscapes then her future books will be even more enjoyable to read. ( )

Told in alternating story lines, the story of Louise's search for her mother is far more compelling, but less developed than the story hidden in the pages of the atlas. ( )

How far would you go for the one you love the most?

A stormy love affair. A secret. A discovery that changes everything …

Louise Fenton flies to a devastated Thailand to search for her mother, missing following the Boxing Day tsunami. The only trace she can find is her mother’s distinctive bag. Inside it is a beautifully crafted atlas belonging to a writer named Claire Shreve. But what is the connection between Claire and Louise’s missing mum, and can the atlas help Louise find her?

As Louise explores the notes and mementoes slipped between the pages of the atlas she learns the story of a life-changing revelation, a tragedy and a passionate love affair. And she uncovers a secret that nearly destroyed Claire and the man she loved – the same secret her mother has been guarding all these years …

Tracy Buchanan has set the bar high with her debut novel, The Atlas of Us. She covers a lot of ground here, literally and figuratively and pulls it off. Beginning with a daughter looking for her estranged mother in the debris from a Tsunami in Thailand, the novel takes off and doesn't slow down. With stops at a Mango Farm in Australia, Venice and Finland as well as interactions, emotions and mysteries that right right along, your literary passport will be stamped. Buchanan makes you care about the characters no matter how flawed they become and you will want an Atlas of Us for yourself--the passion for love and living. Murder, mental illness, bad marriages, dysfunctional relationships and second chances abound. There are some predictable and over-wrought scenes but Buchanan' s history as a travel writer clearly shows and the location descriptions steal the show. Well done.I am eager to see more from this author and you will be, too.

Provided by publisher ( )