My Abandonment

NOW A MAJOR FILM CALLED LEAVE NO TRACE, DIRECTED BY DEBRA GRANIK (WINTER'S BONE)

A thirteen-year-old girl and her father live in Forest Park, an enormous nature preserve in Portland, Oregon. They inhabit an elaborate cave shelter, wash in a nearby creek, store perishables at the water's edge, use a makeshift septic system, tend a garden, even keep a library of sorts. Once a week they go to the city to buy groceries and otherwise merge with the civilized world. But one small mistake allows a back-country jogger to discover them, which derails their entire existence, ultimately provoking a deeper flight. Inspired by a true story and told through the startlingly sincere voice of its young narrator, Caroline, My Abandonment is a riveting journey into life at the margins and a mesmerising tale of survival and hope. AUTHOR: Peter Rock is the author of several novels, including My Abandonment, and a collection of stories, The Unsettling. He teaches writing at Reed College.