Book overview
You Never Should Have Left
When Mariam is discovered alone in a vandalized apartment with no memory of who she is or how she got there, she is returned to her childhood home under the care of a couple claiming to be her parents. Mariam doesn't remember them, but they seem to know exactly who she's supposed to be. And so does everyone else in town.
Inside the house, her room is frozen in time, a monument to a version of herself she can no longer reach. Vivid hallucinations creep into the void left by Mariam's total amnesia. She loses hours sleepwalking. She stops eating. She hears movement in the walls, underneath the floorboards, and in the ceiling above her.
Outside, neighbors and townsfolk gather at the property line with eager smiles, watching. Waiting. They leave Mariam flowers and extravagant gifts. Everyone is so happy to have her back, yet no one seems to care that she's only getting worse. And if she's as safe as everyone promises, why does a violent rage bubble within her?
To uncover the truth and remember who she is, Mariam will have to break free from the family, the town, and the life that refuses to let her go.