"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her - her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy. "A stunning achievement." -The New Yorker. "Deeply affecting ... A keenly observed portrait of familial love and how it endures and changes over time." -New York Times. "A triumphant novel ... It's a knockout." -Time. "Destined to become a classic in the vein of To Kill a Mockingbird ... I loved it." -Anna Quindlen. "A novel that is painfully fine and accomplished." -Los Angeles Times. "The Lovely Bones seems to be saying there are more important things in life on earth than retribution. Like forgiveness, like love." -Chicago Tribune.