The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter

A Book Review....

A diverse group of New Yorkers are brought together by the search for a missing woman—in this electric novel of secrets, connection, and community.

Set during the beginning months of Covid-19. With a large cast that we get to know throughout the novel. Theo Harper and his pregnant wife Darla Jacobson decide to leave New York City and head Upstate to Darla’s family cabin to weather out the pandemic for a while. They get into a heated argument and Darla goes missing. From there Porter takes us on a literary suspenseful ride that explores class, race, and privilege. At times this novel felt slightly satirical and I don’t know if it’s meant to be that way or that’s just how I’m perceiving it. The connections between all the characters aren’t clear right from the beginning, but everything comes together and starts making sense about a quarter of the way through the novel.

While I liked this novel and recommend it, I did feel like it was a bit choppy. It lacked fluidity and I was often confused going from one chapter to the next. However, I love how Porter gave us vignettes of the characters to build their backstories. Those were written very well and it made the story feel more rich. This novel does a lot, but I think in the end it all worked.

I didn’t read Porter’s debut novel The Travelers, but now I’m interested in doing so.

The Rich People Have Gone Away comes out on August 6, 2024, from Hogarth.
** This is a gifted copy from Hogarth. **