In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in Before The Returned, featuring the prequel novellas, The First, The Sparrow and The Choice.

The First

It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since Emily stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on... Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world - and Emily - into a tailspin.

The Sparrow

When Heather and Matt Campbell find ten-year-old Tatiana Rusesa on the side of the highway, she is thousands of miles away from her village in Sierra Leone. She hasn't seen her family in almost two decades, not since she and her mother were killed by rebel soldiers. Now Tatiana has inexplicably returned, a lost orphan with no place to call home.

The Choice

Peter Galvin was just seventeen when Tracy Whitland - the love of his life - vanished without a trace. In the years after her death, he had finally moved on, gotten married, started a family. He is content with his life now - happy, even... Until Tracy suddenly and inexplicably returns.