Staff Pick
Based on a true story, My Abandonment is the story of a Portland father and his teenage daughter who actually lived for several years in a cave in Forest Park. No one knew they were there, but when their story came to light, there was an outcry among the city's residents on behalf of the family. Peter Rock, a writing professor at Portland's Reed College, tells their story in prose at once spare and graceful, and manages to twist the story in a totally different direction than I had anticipated. I did not foresee the surprise at the end; I actually gasped out loud! This beautifully written little gem is absolutely perfect! Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Inspired by a true story and informed by the nature diaries of Opal Whiteley and the travails of Elizabeth Smart, My Abandonment is the completely original story of a remarkable and triumphant transformation.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Caroline has been raised and home-schooled by her father in a wild nature preserve on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. There they inhabit an elaborate cave shelter, wash in a nearby creek, use a makeshift septic system, tend a garden, and follow a rigid code of behavior that enables them to survive in this wilderness. Once a week, they go to the city to buy groceries, attend church, and otherwise merge with the civilized world. Yet one small mistake allows the authorities to discover them. Their forced relocation is only a brief respite in their flight from a world that can't understand them. Inspired by a true story and told through the startlingly sincere voice of young Caroline, My Abandonment is a mesmerizing, completely original story of survival, hope, and triumphant transformation.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Caroline has been home-schooled and trained by her father to survive in the Oregon wilderness. When the authorities discover them, it is the beginning of their flight from a world that cant understand them.