My abandonment

A thirteen-year-old girl and her father live in Forest Park, the enormous nature preserve in Portland, Oregon. There they inhabit an elaborate cave shelter, bathe 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 backcountry 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 a young narrator, Caroline, Peter Rock's My Abandonment is a riveting journey into life at the margins, and a mesmerizing tale of survival and hope.

I like to go barefoot. It is almost impossible to climb a tree wearing shoes. I cannot go barefoot in the city since it is dangerous and does not look right so it draws attention. In the woods it is fine. It is also fine to sing in the woods but there is no reason to sing loudly. If you can hear yourself, that is enough. If you had a friend you could walk close together and sing softly. With my fingernail I scratch words into some of the leaves around. Hello friend, I scratch, and the green goes darker under my fingernail so someone walking along might read that. It's not good to leave any signs but still I do this. I do not collect things since collections draw attention. It is possible to collect things in your mind or to gather them and one way to do this is to write them. I will never scratch anything into the bark of a tree since that hurts them but sometimes I will onto a leaf. Excerpted from My Abandonment: A Novel by Peter Rock All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.