When You Went Away

Only a few months ago, Gerry Rubato had everything he thought he needed from life. He was passionately in love with his college sweetheart after nearly twenty years of marriage, he had a bright, independent-minded daughter, and he had the surprising addition of a new child on the way. Then everything changed with stunning rapidity. With little explanation, his daughter ran away with her older boyfriend. Then, only a month after giving birth to their son, his wife died suddenly.

Now, Gerry needs to be everything to his infant child while he contends with two losses he can barely comprehend. And when a woman walks into his life as a friend and their relationship verges on something more, Gerry must redefine all that he knows about himself, about love, about loyalty, and about his dreams.

An emotionally charged novel filled with warmth, humor, wisdom, and unforgettable characters, When You Went Away is a novel you will take to your heart.

From Publishers WeeklyBaron's carefully crafted debut tale, the Story Plant's first mass market original, is too true-to-life to be interesting. Gerry Rubato's wife has died and his teenage daughter has run away from home, leaving him alone to raise an infant son. Despite the recent tragedies, the focus of the novel is on rather ordinary non-events, such as Gerry's work at a catalogue company, opinions about the Yankees and tedious descriptions of food. As Gerry struggles to confront his runaway child, he chronicles his emotional reactions in a series of journal entries. A romantic subplot involving a colleague provides predictable conflict. Buried in the minutiae is an earnest tale of a man's emotional awakening and grief, but a too-easy resolution makes this more of a tour through Gerry's processing than a story. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review"Nicholas Sparks fans will rejoice to hear there’s a new male author on the scene who writes beautifully about love and emotionally charged relationships.  Tears of sadness and joy go hand in hand in this immensely satisfying story.  It’s hard to believe that this is Baron’s first work of fiction. Outstanding!"-- Romantic Times Book Reviews

"A gem. I couldn't put it down. The characters are people I'd like to know."-- Peggy Webb, author of the Southern Cousins Mystery Series

"Michael Baron writes with such depth that the emotions were tangible. It is rare that a talent like this comes along. This will be a classic. This is one to read and recommend."-- BookreviewsRus

“When You Went Away is a very powerful tale full of laughter, tears, and romantic moments that keep you enthralled with the authors voice. Between the wonderful scenes of Gerry being a father, his journal entries to his missing daughter, and a look into his past, I think every reader will fall a little in love with both this outstanding author as well as this amazing character!”-- Coffee Time Romance

”Touching, tender and gentle, the moments between father and son in When You Went Away pull at the heartstrings and the tear ducts...an exceptional read, and one that makes me want to watch for more works by this author in the future.”-- Freelancing and Fiction

“Michael Baron creates an unforgettable tale....I truly loved this story. It is so well-written that it's hard to keep yourself separate from the fictional characters. I absolutely recommend this book and plan to read every other work written by this author. Triple-A reading!”-- Fresh Fiction

“When You Went Away really surprised me with how much I enjoyed reading this book. Gerry and Reese stole a place in my heart. Mr. Baron is a prolific writer. He is going on my must read list of authors.”-- Cheryl...