Book Review: Before You Found Me by Brooke Beyfuss

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Battered and bruised twenty-two-year-old Rowan McNamara is fleeing an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Ethan whose recent act of domestic violence resulted in Rowan’s hospitalization. Rowan is pressing charges this time and is on her way to her inherited family home in Oklahoma to distance herself from Ethan. Rowan is an orphan, having lost her parents when she was a child, who grew up in foster care. She has an older sister Celia with whom she is somewhat estranged. En route to her family home, Rowan spends some time in her old friend Laine’s home in the New England town of Ellisburg where she meets eleven-year-old Gabriel Emerson son of Laine’s neighbor Lee who keeps him locked in a basement. Gabriel is the victim of child abuse and hasn’t stepped out of his house in three years ever since the death of his mother in an accident for which Lee blames his son.

Rowan decides to escape with Gabriel and manages to take him and run, after a particularly vicious episode that leaves Gabriel seriously injured. The narrative follows Rowan and Gabriel as they settle down into a new life in Rowan’s home in Oklahoma, navigate the trauma they have each experienced, face the constant fear of being found by their abusers, and attempt to create a new life for themselves surrounded by people who care about them and are willing to lend a helping hand when their newfound sense of security is threatened by Lee.

This is my second time reading Brooke Beyfuss’ work. As in her first novel After We Were Stolen, the Author’s Note before the beginning of the story discusses possible triggers. I also found the Interview with the Author at the end of the book where she discusses her writing process, the research involved and her motivation to write this story very interesting. Though Before You Found Me by Brooke Beyfuss deals with heavy topics such as domestic abuse, child abuse, and trauma, the author, rather than craft a dark and disturbing narrative centered around abuse (few descriptions are upsetting), focusses on the path to healing, trust, second chances, sacrifice and found family. Rowan acts on an impulse borne out of her own experiences of abuse and her knowledge of the foster care system, well aware of the legal implications of her actions. We might question some of her choices but it is evident that her heart is in the right place. My heart broke for Gabriel and I thought the author depicted his pain and confusion, feelings of insecurity, attachment to Rowan and innocence with much sensitivity. I also like how the author chose to explore the strained relationship between Rowan and Celia and how they gradually begin to understand one another. The author does an incredible job of portraying complex emotions without making the narrative too heavy. Rowan’s and Gabriel’s journey is a difficult one - beginning with trauma – both physical and emotional, fear and moments of despair but also shows the role love, empathy and kindness play in the path to healing. Overall, this is a heart-wrenching story that will stay with you.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on August 1, 2023.