In My Abandonment, based on a true story, 13 year old Caroline tells of life with her father, a troubled war veteran. For the last four years, the two have lived a seemingly idyllic life in the middle of a large park in Portland, Oregon. Hiding from "followers" both real and imagined, she and her troubled, loving father live in a small underground cave, moving camp periodically to avoid drawing attention to their solitary life. Caroline learns the ways of the forest well, and moves like a shadow among hikers and transients. An inevitable mistake exposes them, though, and they are swiftly arrested. Well-meaning social workers place them on a farm, where Father performs labor and Caroline is expected to attend public schools. Though Caroline adapts rapidly to her new surroundings, Father refuses to live in such a captive state, and they steal themselves away. Instead of finding freedom, their lives unravel rapidly, as Caroline's growing self-awareness begins to butt up against Father's deepening paranoia and fear. Caroline, who has spent so long living in the present, is finally forced to grapple with the murky secrets in her past, and plan for a future that she must create on her own terms.

This harrowing coming of age story is told in a spellbinding voice by a truly unique narrator. As Caroline reveals clues about her past and the truth of her life with Father, it is impossible not to grow deeply attached to her, making her trials all the more poignant. Not only does this novel draw an empathetic portrait of homelessness in America, it asks the reader difficult questions about the nature of family, and about people's capacity to endure incredible hardships with resilience and strength. ( )

Disturbing, riveting, tender, beautiful & strange. A young girl and her Father living in the wilderness in the city until they are discovered, changing everything. I read this in one day. Glad my friend had read it so we could exclaim, " what about that?" ( )

Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

Caroline and her father live in a forest park just outside Portland, Oregon. Her father has taught Caroline how to survive without technology or man-made things. She does not go to school - instead she learns from reading an old set of encyclopedias. Caroline plants a garden, observes wildlife from the tops of tall trees, and accompanies her father into the city when they run low on supplies.

They are usually ignored, and are careful not to draw attention. It is almost inevitable that Caroline makes a mistake. Father and daughter are taken into police custody and given the opportunity to lead "normal" lives. This type of normalcy is not welcome, and the two flee in search of a simpler existence once again.

I will be honest; it was difficult for me to become attached to the story. The dialogue between Caroline and her father is choppy and sporadic at times. It was difficult for Caroline's father to express himself; therefore, he relied on the words of someone else, a famous author, like Thoreau, for instance.

At first, I felt nothing for Caroline, but that changed as I followed her on this strange journey. Caroline's father obviously loved her, but could not come to terms with his own inner demons. Caroline's story is beautiful, bizarre, and surreal.

MY ABANDONMENT will make you think, and perhaps be grateful for what you already have. ( )

A very strange book. I really liked the beginning, about a supposed father and daughter living in an urban wilderness; going into town to collect his checks and buy food; and how they managed to hide from everyone. Why they had to hide isn't clear till the end, when it gets a bit creepy. I wish there had been more detail about what it was like in the beginning, before she got Stockholm syndrome (I guess that's what we're supposed to think - it was a bit unclear). ( )

My Abandonment by Peter Rock is based on fact. He has extrapolated from actual news items about a father and daughter who for several years lived outside of society, quite near a metropolitan area. In an interview (available on You Tube) he tells us that his preparation for the novel involved spending time in the park area where they’d been discovered, and actually going to places where he imagined they might have gone when they fled.

Rock’s portraits are believable, including the dialogue. Given an intelligent (although traumatized ) man, and an impressionable pre-teen daughter their years together might have been spent as he reports. The latter chapters are heartbreaking. That Caroline can make her way after her father’s death is something readers will hope for.

~~~I received this book as a gift from an LTf riend, and I thank her here. ( )