“Waiting For Them to Come Back” by Gilbert Finley is a Haunting Exploration of Childhood Trauma and the Complexities of Love

September 22, 2025 at 19:14 PM EDT

Debut author Gilbert Finley releases Waiting For Them To Come Back, a powerful and unsettling novel that delves deep into the dark realities of abuse, fractured family bonds, and the painful contradictions of love.

Told through the eyes of Walter, the youngest child of a cold and abusive mother, the book traces a heartbreaking journey of yearning, betrayal, and the desperate search for compassion that never came. Walter’s story reveals that love, often idealized, can also take the form of cruelty and indifference. Certain parts of the novel draw from Finley’s own life, while others are shaped by the experiences of people he has known, resulting in a raw and multifaceted exploration of trauma.

The book has already garnered critical praise. In its review, Literary Titan described the novel as:

“Raw, unfiltered, and relentless... Sentences are jagged, like thoughts gasped out between sobs. The honesty kept me glued... This isn’t a book for someone looking for comfort or escapism. It’s a story for readers who want to stare straight into the messy reality of trauma and what it does to families.”

With prose that mirrors Walter’s spiraling inner world, Finley forces readers to confront unsettling truths about family, cruelty, and the hollow spaces left by withheld love. The novel balances moments of shocking violence with the quiet devastation of longing—for laughter at the dinner table, for a sister’s voice, for a mother’s touch that never arrives.

Waiting For Them To Come Back is not a tale of easy redemption or tidy resolutions. Instead, it invites readers to wrestle with discomfort, empathy, and the complexity of human pain. It is a book that lingers, challenging its audience long after the final page.

Don’t miss this raw and unforgettable story of love, pain, and survival. Get your copy of Waiting For Them To Come Back today, available in Kindle and paperback editions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Step into Walter’s world and experience the haunting, unforgettable story of Waiting For Them To Come Back. Click here to begin reading the free sample now on Amazon.

About the Author

Gilbert Finley is an ESL writer from Laos who has bravely taken on the challenge of penning his first full-length book in English. A comedian with a flair for unfiltered honesty, Finley has lived through, and continues to navigate, intense struggles with mental health, including depression, bipolar disorder, self-harm ideation, and suicidal thoughts. He has been hospitalized six times in psychiatric care but continues to fight daily battles with resilience and authenticity.

Finley’s unique voice blends humor, vulnerability, and sharp observation, shaped by a life of hardship and survival. His writing in Waiting For Them To Come Back reflects both lived experience and imagination, confronting readers with the raw truths of trauma while offering a lens into the complexities of love, pain, and humanity.

Learn More

Discover the story behind Waiting For Them To Come Back and explore more of Gilbert Finley’s journey. Visit his official author page to learn about the book, his life, and to read his latest blog posts: gilbertfinley.ampbk.com.

Media Contact
Company Name: Literary Titan
Contact Person: Gilbert Finley
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Country: Australia
Website: https://gilbertfinley.ampbk.com/

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“Waiting For Them to Come Back” by Gilbert Finley is a Haunting Exploration of Childhood Trauma and the Complexities of Love

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