I’m getting back into the swing of Five from the Archive posts, where I dig up five previous reviews on my blog with a connecting theme. You can see all the previous ones in the index.
I’m not at all the sort of person who wants to read books about missing people usually, and the market certainly seems to be flooded with them – but these ones do appeal. And they’re not disturbing or unpleasant – at least not gratuitously. (Apparently I never wrote about Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, but that is also very good.) Please do let me know your own recommendations!
1.) The Runaway (2017) by Claire Wong
In short: 17-year-old Rhiannon runs away from her aunt and guardian, living in the thick woodland near her Welsh village. Storytelling and memory play a big role in the community’s reaction.
From the review: “One of the reasons I really liked The Runaway is because of what it says about small communities. Too often these are treated as places to escape – claustrophobic, nosey, and repressive to creativity. It’s ironic that a novel where somebody literally escapes this community doesn’t suggestion that small-town life is an evil.”
2.) Still Missing (1981) by Beth Gutcheon
In short: Often mentioned as one of the more unusual choices for Persephone, this follows the trajectory of a mother’s panic, grief, and search as her son is missing and the world reacts.
From the review: “The premise has become worn through re-use, but Gutcheon takes it back to essentials, and the novel is the more powerful and personal because of it.”
3.) This is the End (1917) by Stella Benson
In short: Jay Martin has run away and become a bus conductor. This strange, funny, bizarre novel follows her family as they fruitlessly search for her – and it’s never clear exactly what’s happening.
From the review: “I want to say that This Is The End is not supernatural, but any definite statement about a Benson novel feels like a trap waiting to happen; the reader never quite knows which genre they’re reading, or what sort of response is required. Except that laughter will always be involved somewhere.”
4.) The Return of Alfred (1922) by Herbert Jenkins
In short: When James Smith (not his real name) tries to shelter in a house while on the run from his domineering father, he is surprised to be mistaken for the mysterious missing Alfred.
From the review: “I found The Return of Alfred all rather improbable – but also another total delight.”
5.) Little Boy Lost (1949) by Marghanita Laski
In short: During war, Hilary is told that his son (whom he has only seen once) – and he travels to Paris to find him. Once found, how can Hilary know it is the right boy?
From the review: “Although the plot is fairly simple, its handling is beautifully subtle, especially as the novel progresses.”
Oh I so loved Little Boy Lost, and Still Missing was hard to put down.
I really would love to read The Return of Alfred.
I’d recommend Mapp and Lucia by E F Benson and Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.
I’m on my second reading of “Please Look After Mom” by Korean author Kyung-Sook Shin. It is such a touching, well written story about the mother that goes missing. The various viewpoints of the family members, old friends and the mother herself weave together a beautiful, poignant story.