What if - one day, without explanation - some of us simply vanished? Would we carry on, and act as we did before our world turned upside down? That's what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton have to figure out. Following the mass disappearance of thousands of citizens overnight, Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to bring a sense of hope to this traumatised community. His family has fallen apart in the wake of disaster. His wife has joined a homegrown cult, and his son is a disciple of the prophet Holy Wayne. Only Jill, Kevin's daughter, remains, and she's no longer the sweet student she once was. Written with a rare ability to illuminate our everyday struggles, 'The Leftovers' is a startling novel about love, connection and loss. Gold title *Tom Perrotta's most recent novel, 'The Abstinence Teacher', was a New York Times bestseller and received great reviews. * The team that produced the Oscar-nominated film 'The Kids Are All Right' are currently working on an adaptation of 'The Abstinence Teacher'.

*His previous novels 'Election' and 'Little Children' were made into award-winning films. Tom received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for 'Little Children', starring Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connolly. Competition: Nick Hornby, Rick Moody, John Updike, Jeffrey Eugenides.