MY ABANDONMENT

Thirteen-year-old Caroline lives rough in an Oregon nature preserve with her troubled father, a Vietnam vet. The close relationship between Caroline and Father makes living off the land seem almost normal. They avoid contact with everyone, even other homeless people, but it's not long before the authorities step in and place them in more conventional living arrangements. Tai Sammons's narration commands attention. Her matter-of-fact recounting of daily events deepens the mystery surrounding the two. In a straightforward, unemotional delivery, Sammons imparts Father's paranoia, Caroline's ability to calm him from his helicopter dreams, and her frequently lyrical observations concerning her education, her occasional bouts of loneliness, and their day-to-day survival. Definitely a worthwhile listen. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2009]