The Girls Are Gone: The True Story of Two Sisters Who Vanished, the Father Who Kept Searching, and the Adults Who Conspired to Keep the Truth Hidden Paperback – October 23, 2018

This was an amazing account of a heart wrenching story that actually took place in my lifetime. I don't live under a rock but I could never imagine this actually happening. It was difficult to put the book down at night .

The thing about independent publishing I suppose is that you don’t get the benefit of a good editor. For example, court transcripts in an exhibit word not interfere with the flow of reading so much. Integrated writing rather than “Michael” sections or “Allyson” sections would have been nice.But the story is so compelling and detailed, so elucidative, that I ignored that stuff and was riveted. Sandra no doubt has a serious cluster B personality disorder, probably borderline comorbid with narcissistic with histrionic for kicks. She is vety very I’ll. You could also say she is evil. Pure evil. If you say that, then you have to add her mentally ill disciples, Michelle Macdonald and the rest of Sandra’s enablers and coconspirators.This is not the first father to find himself in this situation (parental alienation and false accusations of abuse), but few have suffered so much from the kidnapping of their children and endured and fought so hard. This is an important story to tell and never forget. The culprits continue to this day to spread their delusions, this book tells the actual story. Sad, but worth reading and never forgetting.

I read the reviews and decided I would like to read this book. While it started out well, it just became boring with all of the court documents that could have been summarized. And, there was not any real investigation into what really happened with the mother--why she did the things she did. Was she just crazy?In the end, this book left me with more questions that it answered. And the children are the ones who paid the price for the actions of the mother and her supporters. I have no idea after reading this what the father may or may not have done over the years. In this book, he is a saint. Maybe that's true. But this book didn't prove that premise.

For readers who enjoy the truth being told and justice prevailing ...kinda...its a must read. Still have a big question as to why Sandra didn't serve more time!!!

This is a book that should be read by All..Thank you for pursuing the cause and focusing on letting the “Truth Be Told.” As a parent, I can not imagine how this could happen during a divorce, but people andTheir evil motives are always there. Thank you for tenacity to share and realize the importance of writing this story. God Bless You All for caring enough to “right a wrong and evil situation.”The sad thing for me is to realize people who were so evil, could/would only receive such little time in prison for All the cruel and evil things they committed..

The topic of this book is intriguing especially since it is a true story. However, it reads like a first.draft. I wonder if all the quotes from the court, attorneys and the social worker are accurate. If so, these are not very articulate professionals. There is so much repetition. At times I can't tell if I'm reading a summary or a conclusion by one of the participants. I worked in juvenile justice including abandonment investigations and I would never have gotten away with some of these statements. I would like to know how things worked out but I can't get through the drudgery. Are the random all-caps titles chapter headings? There is little if any attempt to understand how this long married couple got to this point. The allegations of sexual abuse seem to have been glossed over. Really?! So in the end I just can't get through all 504 pages.

A good documentary regarding a terrible time. It is an affirmation of the cruelty and meanness in many of the people who live around us. When one of the parties of a divorce has obvious mental/emotional issues, the court should act faster. A sad read, but worth the time.

It takes a really badly written, boring book for me to not finish it but that is what happened with this one. Super repetitive and full of totally unnecessary information. I wonder if the authors even edited it at all. Many, many spelling mistakes and you'd think they got paid by the word for how many they used.