What about the children who were abandoned by their parents? How were they to resolve the relationship with the people who gave birth to them if they never met them, or if their memories of their parents were so vague that they couldn't picture their faces? What if their parents were known to them, even present in the household at times, but were so consumed with their own survival that children were seen as obstacles in the way or as objects to be manipulated and used for their own selfish purposes? How were these children to grow up mentally and emotionally healthy? What if the parents were abusive?
What Happened to Clara?
From Kirkus Reviews: ...Halleson clearly has a strong understanding of the Norwegian-Americans who populate her novel, and their depictions seem extremely authentic. She’s equally skilled at representing the criminal mind, and the passages from the perspective of a kidnapper are chilling....