The Vanishing of Margaret Small: An uplifting and page-turning mystery

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This poignant story tells of people whom life has denied any of the advantages that we take for granted today. People with few or no choices about their own lives. It speaks to the unfairness of life, while simultaneously being hopeful thanks in no small part to Margaret’s naivety and positive outlook. There are some memorable secondary characters as well, both good and bad. Wayne was among my favourites.

Margaret Small was "vanished” to a long-term care facility for children with learning disabilities when she was seven years old by the Rat Catcher (Mr. Gray). She had been living with her maternal grandmother prior to being "vanished". Can you even imagine sending a young child away to an institution? My heart broke for her.Many thanks first of all must go to Tracy Fenton who wrote such an intriguing and captivating review that I knew I just had to read The Vanishing of Margaret Small. Without her, I wouldn’t have discovered one of the most interesting and beautifully written characters I’ve read about in a very long time.

Told in two timelines, this story is an intensely emotional journey with top-notch characterizations. It's impossible not to love Margaret, as she's definitely the one who holds this story together. She may be a bit slow but she has an inner beauty that's impossible to resist. The difference between the sympathetic and the intolerant is never more obvious than in the chapters set in Margaret’s past, where she is a long term resident of St Mary’s, a home for people with physical and learning disabilities that sought less to help prepare the residents for their place in society, as to hide them away. There is no attempt to make Margaret’s life better, to help her with her literacy challenges. Taken there as a very young girl, St Mary’s is all that she knows, her friends there her only family. It is written in the same language and style that I imagine her talking in. Bad grammar and all. This makes the story feel authentic. I imagine the audible version would be good. There are a few characters that are a bit clichéd at the home where she grew up. But there are lots of interesting secondary characters. Let me introduce you to Margaret Small, our narrator. She has spent most of her childhood and much of her adult life at St Mary’s – a home for children with learning difficulties and disabilities and now aged 75 she lives by herself in Whitstable with the support of Wayne, her care worker. Imagine also my surprise when I discovered that this is a debut work. It is far more complex and nuanced than many of the established works I have read.Margaret Small is intellectually challenged, but she more than makes up for this with spades of common sense, far more than many so called intelligent people. She is kind and willing but easily taken advantage of. What she does she does well and she takes pride in her work. I honestly found it so hard to hear what she had endured as a child in St Mary’s and I don’t think I can have hated a character more than Nurse Cunningham! The sad fact of the matter is that whilst this book is a work of fiction it is based on real stories and my heart breaks to think of what people with disabilities, physically or mentally, went through in the 1940s-1980s. As Margaret tells us her story I wanted someone to help her and give her the life she deserved. Whether it was Joan, Eva or kind Sandra, the people she trusted kept abandoning her and each time my heart broke a little more for her.

The Vanishing of Margaret Small is an emotional journey from her childhood to present day. Margaret may have been slower than others and unable to read or write but she has the biggest heart. Her sweet innocence, her kindness and compassion for others shines through. Overall this was a quirky kind of read with lovable characters and a gut wrenching story. If I could hug Margaret I would.Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including: I loved listening to the audio voice of Margaret, the older woman telling us about life for her through decades of change and learning, both for herself and much more widely. As we try to unravel her mystery. My thanks to Bonnier UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Vanishing of Margaret Small”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook. What a unique story this is! Debut novel from this author. As the title says, it is the story of Margaret. “Vanishing” is Margaret’s word for the fact that she vanished from her grandmother’s home at a young age and was sent to an institution (hospital?) for problem and slow children. A wonderful book that everyone should read. And please don't forget to read the author's note at the end. It is enlightening.