Place Last Seen: A Novel

by Charlotte McGuinn Freeman

During a day hike in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada, the Baker family's life turns upside down when the youngest, a six year-old girl with Down Syndrome, disappears while playing hide-and-seek with her brother. Place Last Seen follows the paths of two stories--the Rescue and Search team's efforts to find Maggie and her family's attempts to come to terms with their loss. Clear, moving, and never sentimental, Place Last Seen explores the complicated bonds of family life.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

I’m a writer and editor currently residing in Livingston, Montana.

My novel, Place Last Seen was published by Picador, USA in 2000. Contact me by email if you’d like to order a copy.

I blog about food and agriculture and homesteading at Livingsmallblog.com and about books and culture and politics at CharlotteMcGuinnFreeman.com.

I review cookbooks at Bookslut.com, sometimes write for Culinate and Ethicurean.

You can contact me at cmf406 at gmail dot com

Reviews

[Bryn Greenwood]

Such an odd book & one that can’t really be discussed without spoiling the whole plot line. Let’s just say ... not a happy ending. If however, you’re looking for an example of a book in which the landscape is both a character and a major plot point, this is a great one.

[Charlotte Freeman]

My first novel, published by Picador USA in 2000. Out of stock indefinitely but available in some libraries, used bookstores, or you can contact me directly and I'd be happy to sell and ship you a signed copy.
It is also now available from Amazon.com as a kindle book.

[Grace]

I read this book because I saw that an author I like, Bryn Greenwood, wrote a review for it. I expected it to be powerful, and it was.
While this book is about a missing girl, its much more about grief and loss and how a family comes to terms with the most unimaginable outcome in their own separate ways and have to walk their own lonely paths back to the world, through their own sense of guilt. There is no making sense of something so nonsensical as a lost child.
I found this book fascinating because I have never read about, nor do I know much about, search and rescue procedures, mountain climbing and topographic map reading. It was so well researched that I really learned a lot of practical information.
This book left a crater in my heart and it'll take me a few days to process it. It's comparable to: Charles Martin's The Mountain Between Us.
I loved Ed and Martha so much.

If you don't want to read ahead, SPOILER ALERT.....
the little girl dies. Fair warning.

Side note, this book was written 20 years ago and I flinched everytime the little girl was referred to as "retarded", which was often. I had to be careful not to let modern inclusivity conditioning affect how I interpreted the plot.

[Tessa]

This book has lingered for so long on my bookshelf that it is no longer in print. It should have trigger warnings for grief and outdated language for a child with Down’s Syndrome. It is also beautiful and powerful and I’m so glad I finally read it.

Much of the novel is the search and rescue process when a six year-old child with Down’s Syndrome goes missing on a hike with her family. This novel explores the emotions of both parents and older brother. The search process and the physical setting are integral to this book. I was reminded of Peter Heller’s writing in that way.

The last few pages of this novel are gorgeous in it’s telling of grief and loss.

[Michelle]

4.5*

[Kristy Thayne]

I have no idea how to even rate this book. The writing was good and kept me on edge. I was desperately reading this, and the suspense was killing me, and for that I could rate it 3.5 stars.

But I have to say that as a mother of young children this book deeply disturbed me. I read about them leaving after the snow came without finding Maggie and I couldn't sleep. I know I shouldn't but I wish this book had had a happy ending. This was just too hard to read.

[Georgia Herod]

A first novel—the story of the Baker family (Richard, Anne, son Luke and daughter Maggie, who has Down’s Syndrome) who are taking a a day hike in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas. While playing hide-and-seek with Luke, six-year-old Maggie runs away—and she can’t be found. Parents search desperately, then call Search and Rescue. The search is complicated because Maggie doesn’t think or act like other children. The search covers three days and nights with no success. The reader sees the reaction to Maggie’s disappearance in each family member, those in the search team, and then Freeman conveys the gripping reality of family relationships being tested as they wrestle with guilt, doubt, fear, and hope. Freeman also reveals the characters mourning differently, not necessarily according to the “grief cycle.”

Though the book is well-written, I was absolutely exhausted by the time I finished reading it--I felt as if the psyche and emotions of the characters had been revealed over and over. I was just ready for it to end, no matter whether or not they found Maggie! The setting is definitely a huge "character" in the novel, and the author gives much attention to it.

[Barbara Rhine]

Do you like to read about landscape? If so, Place Last Seen, by Charlotte McGuinn Freeman, is for you. “Place Last Seen” refers to exactly that–the spot where a Down’s Syndrome child disappeared from a panorama at least as spectacular as the one where I sat that incandescent day among the granite and the lakes, the one I haven't been able to forget though it was many years ago. Or perhaps it was that place on the mountain where I got lost and had to spend the whole night out, panicked, until I could find my way back to my own footsteps in the snow by the dawn light, which finally led me to the road. . .

In any event, this book is about the detailed efforts to find that child. It is a story of family and disability and marriage and grandmothering and community in the face of impending tragedy. But above all, it is a loving description of that vast landscape, so seductive, so indifferent, which sustains us, yes, but can easily be our downfall as well.

My cousin looked for Place Last Seen on her Nook and it wasn’t available, so here are the links to the Amazon Kindle version (2011), and the Amazon hard-copy site. Plus, Charlotte Freeman has an attractive and readable blog about her farm in Montana. But the main thing is to read the book. Well worth the effort.

[Patricia]

Overall, this book broke my heart. Truly, I would say it does follow the family some, but the person who will haunt me forever is one of the searchers. He becomes obsessed with the search, ultimately being injured. While the rest of the people sort of drop from my mind, I suspect I will remember him, and the lost girl forever.
Many of the characters in this novel seem to be as mere sketches, not completely developed. The little girl is almost a shadow, which, I suppose, can be expected. However, she is the driving force behind the story. To have been anything else would have eliminated it.
Except for the single searcher, the remaining people don't impact me. His character is so well developed that I almost expected to look up and see him.
The book is haunting, heartbreaking, mournful, and almost seems as a warning...

[Susan]

This was a book club book. I'll start with the positive: I learned a great deal about how to conduct a search & rescue. Now, for the negative: this book was WAY too long for the material. Most of the backstories weren't flushed out & seemed to be just filler in order for this story to be considered a novel. For example, did Ed win his custody battle for his son? I have no clue; that thread was dropped, like so many other subplots in this book. The author seemed to throw everything at the wall just to see what would stick & nothing did. I would not recommend this book.

[Eireann]

This book is a hard book to read but truly captures the difficulties/guilt associated with dealing with a child with special needs. The characters are sensitive and dynamic. a page turner

[MaryAnn Harlan]

I love how the landscape becomes a character.

[Stacie]

Very depressing book...

[Debbi]

THIS IS A REALLY RIVETING HEART wrenching read

[Christine]

A family hike turns tragic when the daughter goes missing during a game of hide and seek. One moment of not watching ~ who among us has not done that? A haunting family story.

[GeeBee]

Extremely well done.

[Amy]

This is an amazing book. The drama and sadness of a lost child with Down's syndrome is handled amazingly in this book.

[Karen]

Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I couldn't put it down.