Westport Public Library BOOK blog

A few days ago a news article reminded me about a story that I have always found very haunting. It is a true story that happened thirty years ago – the disappearance of Etan Patz. Etan Patz was a six year old boy on his way to the school bus stop in New York City when he disappeared. It was the first time his mother had let him walk alone. He has never been found, and his disappearance led to a change in our social consciousness, completely revising the way missing children cases are handled, and the day of his disappearance is now National Missing Children’s Day.

At the time Etan disappeared I was a new mother myself and the thought of losing my child in such a way was almost too much to bear. I have always wondered how his parents could go on. A few years after Etan vanished, Beth Gutcheon wrote a novel, Still Missing, based on his disappearance. In her book, which later became the movie Without a Trace, Ms. Gutcheon captures the mania that surrounds such an event, yet also poignantly conveys the relationship of the parents as they dealt with this unimaginable tragedy. While dealing with the loss of her child every day, the mother, amazingly to me, still manages to maintain the hope and faith that someday he will be found alive.

The novel, The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond also deals with the mysterious disappearance of a child. Abby Mason, a photographer, is walking on the beach with her fiancé’s daughter. As she stops to take a picture the little girl lets go of her hand and within a few seconds vanishes. Ms. Richmond explores the different ways that Abby and her fiancé Jake deal with this tragedy. Jake focuses on the practical details involved in finding his daughter while Abby explores the tricks the mind can play and the nature of time. This beautifully written book is both suspenseful and haunting. A good choice for book clubs.

Stewart O’Nan, one of my favorite authors, has also written a novel about a missing child, Songs for the Missing. Kim Larsen is 18 years old and set to leave for college when she suddenly disappears. O’Nan’s story is less about Kim and more about what happens to the rest of the family when a loved one vanishes. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different member of the Larsen family. The day to day reality of how such an event can affect the lives of the family and close friends is convincingly portrayed. Mr. O’Nan has created a story and characters that you won’t forget.

In each of these novels about the loss of a child the author has shown how life can change in an instant. Each author has chosen to portray this tragedy in a different way but to me the central question remains the same: how do you move forward and live with the unknown? Book clubs will find lots to discuss with any of these selections. Let me know if you would like to reserve one of these titles.