The Deep End of the Ocean By Jacquelyn Mitchard

Ok, so I'd wanted to read this book ever since I read that it was on Oprah's Book Club List, in fact it was the first book on the list!

The story is about a boy, Ben, who goes missing at the age of 3 at his mother's high school reunion, and is not found for a really long time, and so, presumed dead. How the family (specially his mother & older brother who were present when it happened) deals with the kidnapping forms the first part of the book. The mother mourns the loss of her easiest/happiest golden child and in the bargain ends up ignoring her other two kids. She gives up having even the slightest semblance of a normal life and the older son grows up with the guilt of having lost his brother who was supposed to be in his care at the time he went missing.

After around 8-9 years, in a surprising twist (which I kind of saw coming, so not so surprising), the mother meets a boy who looks just like the age-progression image generated of her missing son at age 12. Further investigation reveals that it is her own son, and he was kidnapped by a mentally unstable schoolmate of hers, who was present at the High School Reunion.

How the family deals with the reunion, followed by a short-term parting and a final reunion with the boy forms the rest of the story. 

A nicely written book that gets depressing at times, but overall a nice change from the books I usually read!