The Vanishing Act

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The Vanishing Act is a fable-like novella by Mette Jakobsen about Minou, a girl on an unmapped snow-covered island trying to understand her mother's disappearance, ideal for readers who enjoy dreamlike fabulism, child narrators and stories about grief, memory and isolation.

Synopsis
This is a story about a snow-covered island you won't find on any map.

It's the story of a girl, Minou. A year ago, her mother walked out into the rain and never came back.

It's about a magician and a priest and a dog called No Name. It's about a father's endless hunt for the truth.

It's about a dead boy who listens, and Minou's search for her mother's voice.

It's a story of how even the most isolated places have their own secrets.

It's a story you will never forget.

Perfect for readers who like...

Nonlinear storytelling that moves into memories and flashbacks.
Philosophical fiction that explores questions of truth and reason.
Remote, snow-covered island settings.
A child’s-eye perspective shaped by grief, loss and unanswered questions.

Books like The Vanishing Act

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Lanny by Max Porter

Themes and story elements

Grief and loss
Mother-daughter relationship
Missing parent
Search for truth
Childhood and imagination
Isolation
Fabulism

The best stories change you. The Vanishing Act is that kind of tale
Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus

A strange poetic and ghostly story... There are echoes of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe but otherwise there is a rare freshness to her storytelling. She relies on using sophisticated but sparse language to create a magical world and story about the grown-up themes of love, loss and - intriguingly - philosophy that can be read and enjoyed by both grown-ups and young adults. And not a vampire in sight
Daily Mail