The disappearance of a teenage girl provides the catalyst for Hannah Pittard's The Fates Will Find Their Way (Ecco, Jan.), a debut novel sure to linger with readers. The specter of Nora Lindell haunts her family and classmates for decades and becomes a defining point in their lives. The suppositions, beliefs, and scenarios they develop become dominant factors as each character matures. In an unusual format, the story is told by Nora's fellow male students—the various viewpoints provide a fascinating perspective on how memory and perception can affect a person's development. The reader observes each of the boys as they grow into adulthood with their families, accompanied by the dynamic of interaction with Nora's sister. Though relatively brief, the novel has great depth, enhanced by Pittard's precision of language. The result is a stimulating examination of loss, memory, history, and perception and how the past never leaves—indeed is the main factor in the present.