This Unforgettable Page-Turner Was the Inaugural Pick for Oprah’s Book Club

Almost a year before Oprah’s Book Club endorsed “The Deep End of the Ocean,” the book snagged a movie deal from actor-producer Michelle Pfeiffer’s production company, with Pfeiffer playing Beth Cappadora. The buzz from Oprah’s Book Club praise was the free marketing the book needed to reach grander heights. However, the film faced a series of delays and didn’t hit theaters until 1999. By then, much of the initial buzz had faded. The movie eventually grossed about $27 million worldwide against a $38 million budget, and viewers were quick to explain why.

Not only did the film trim away several key plot lines, but it also failed to stay in character and chose to focus only on the emotional baggage within the Cappadora family. The detective’s character, in particular, lacked the depth and complexity Mitchard had so vividly written in “The Deep End of the Ocean.” Still, Mitchard didn’t rush to give unsatisfied viewers a sequel to the drama thriller. She waited over a decade and, even then, approached it with hesitation. “I loved my story. But I was wary. […] And I didn’t know if I could actually write about the Cappadoras, thirteen years after I created them,” she admitted on her website. Then, unexpectedly, while working on another book, it hit her. “I knew. I knew the story that would become ‘No Time to Wave Goodbye.'”

The sequel follows a now-grown Ben and the rest of the Cappadoras as they’re thrust into another tragedy that threatens the fragile stability they’ve built. Though it wasn’t featured in Oprah’s Book Club, the praise it earned was just as heartfelt. As one reviewer put it, “I enjoyed this sequel to Mitchard’s The Deep End of the Ocean. I immediately remembered the characters and where we left off. There was great tension and suspense, but the overall healing of many of the characters is the best part.” Now, for another reader-favorite novel, check out the best Reese’s Book Club pick of all time.