Book cover of Leaving Time

Book description

Alice Metcalf was a devoted mother, loving wife and accomplished scientist who studied grief among elephants. Yet it's been a decade since she disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind her small daughter, husband, and the animals to which she devoted her life. All signs point to abandonment - or worse.Still…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

4 authors picked Leaving Time as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I learned a lot about elephants and I’m glad I did! The human story was also complicated, captivating and the twist was unexpected.

A book with twists, turns, surprises, and places where the reader says, “What?” always makes for a great book club read, and this is one of those.

There is so much to discuss about Jenna, a young girl searching for her mother, and the people she encounters. The psychic and detective who help her are unique characters, and the mystery has readers guessing clear to the end. 

This multi-layered story is peppered with research on elephants via Jenna’s mother’s journals and provides another level of information for great discussions.  

I have to say, that after reading this book,…

I read this book twice, the first time soon after my sister died in 2016. I read it again this year because I remembered I loved the book, but I couldn’t remember the story well—it got lost in the fog of grief.

Jodi Picoult has a brilliant way with words and surprising twists in her plots. I found the characters so compelling, and so believable, I didn’t want the book to end. I learned a lot about elephants (which I have always considered my spirit animals), and about psychics.

In fact, after reading the book the first time I sought…

If you love Leaving Time...

Book cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things

Beautiful and Terrible Things by S.M. Stevens,

Charley Byrne isn’t really living. She hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, until quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xander’s circle of diverse friends and thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join…

The love of a mother and child is one that is dear to my heart, and so I was absolutely captivated by this book. A little girl’s desperate longing for the mother who mysteriously disappeared a decade earlier takes readers on a journey that is both strange and wondrous at the same time. I love a book that teaches me something, and Jodi Picoult elegantly weaves together the nature of motherhood in both humans and elephants in a way that adds depth and beauty to the story. Add to this a psychic medium who the main character, Jenna, employs to…

If you love Leaving Time...

Book cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things

Beautiful and Terrible Things by S.M. Stevens,

Charley Byrne isn’t really living. She hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, until quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xander’s circle of diverse friends and thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join…

Want books like Leaving Time?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 75 books like Leaving Time.

Browse books like Leaving Time

Book cover of Anxious People
Book cover of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Book cover of The Time Traveler's Wife

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Leaving Time, you might also like...

Book cover of All They Need to Know

All They Need to Know by Eileen Goudge,

A runaway finds sisterhood, love, and danger in a mountain town.

On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California mountain town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted…

Book cover of Last Patient of the Night

Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher,

Emergency physician AJ Docker is no stranger to violence, but the brutal torture and murder of an innocent, young patient demands a response.

Together with his policeman friend, and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient. Doc’s investigation leads him into the…

5 book lists we think you will like!