Review
In Pittard's absorbing mystery-cum-elegy the main character, Nora Lindell, is not just unknowable she is quite literally unseen, unknown, absent. When the sixteen-year-old went missing on Halloween some thirty-plus years ago, all she left behind was her memory. It is a mere whiff of a memory at that, since sixteen years is hardly enough time to make any kind of substantial mark. Or is it?
Maybe in the great cosmic scheme of things sixteen years is not long. To those in the unnamed Mid-Atlantic town where Nora grew up, however, it is long enough to leave indelible marks on those who knew and cared about her. Therefore, such an unexpected and inexplicable disappearance elicits not just profound grief but wild and prolonged speculation about why and how and with whom and where. So many unanswered questions. Ah, but herein lies the twist, the magic of Pittard's...
Beyond the Book
Nobody knows why Nora Lindell, the main character of Pittard's novel, went missing 30 years ago, but one theory is that she ran away.
Below is some information on modern-day runaways:
Runaways vs throwaways
A runaway episode is either when a child leaves home without permission and stays away overnight; or a child who is away from home chooses not to come home when expected and stays away one night if 14 years or younger, or two nights if 15 years or older. A thrownaway child is one who has been told to leave the home, or is prevented from returning home, by a household adult for a night and no adequate care is provided.
How big is the problem?
According to the National Runaway Switchboard, between 1.6 and 2.8 million...
