First published 2006
A six-year-old girl walks out of the Olympic National Forest in Washington state. She cannot speak and carries no identification. Dr. Julia Cates has returned to her hometown after a professional scandal destroyed her career as a child psychiatrist. Julia takes on the case of this mysterious child, whom she names Alice. The girl lives trapped in fear and silence. Julia works to break through Alice's isolation and discover her identity. She must collaborate with her estranged sister, who works as a local police officer. Together they uncover the disturbing truth about what happened to Alice in the forest. The revelations challenge Julia's professional skills and personal strength. As Julia fights to help Alice heal, she also searches for her own path toward redemption and belonging in the place she once called home.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: estranged-siblings, redemption, second-chance
Setting: Olympic National Forest, Washington
Period: 21st-century
339 pages · Kindle Edition · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: child-abuse, mental-illness