“She reached down to pick up the carton of noodles, sliding her fingers under the wormy strands. Wiping her hand in the hem of her skirt, she leaned back. ‘Do you ever wonder if there’s a classier way, Simon?...’”

Especially effective in character exposé is the part where rivals Tina and Wilma meet. By the book’s end, all the main characters have changed in some way, providing us with a sense that the grueling hours they’ve just come through were indeed worthwhile.

The Calgary zoo setting is also huge in this story. It worked for me almost like another character, or a great big symbol illustrating how things are never quite as they seem. The zoo is near Opi’s house and the place where Corey and his mom always meet. For him a visit there is rich with memories and good feelings. However, there are animals he doesn’t like to visit. And at night the place changes from familiar and friendly to strange and threatening, thus morphing into the perfect place for Corey to face deep fears, confront his runaway self with questions about what he really wants, and even master a personal challenge.

The story deals with a hash of easy-to-relate-to themes like parenting, the government’s role in child care, the need of us all for unconditional love, and a mother’s love. Personally, the book grabbed me by the scruff of my mother-neck from the beginning and kept me on emotional tenterhooks throughout as I lived the situation of a missing kid through Wilma and Tina.

The plot was the only part of the book that, frankly, wearied me from the time Corey was left at the zoo, until the end. The jacket notes alerted me to the fact that this would happen and so when, by Chapter 13, he was fending for himself, I wondered how I would stick with the long ordeal I knew was ahead. It was a long ordeal. But Hegerat, using her considerable skill as a storyteller, does keep the reader with her. To create suspense, she pits the information we have against what the characters have. Her writing remains vivid throughout, with lots of concrete detail and believable character thoughts. The story rewards with a satisfying and somewhat surprise ending.

I found the book a worthwhile read for many reasons, not the least of which was how it made me value my own kids. It also gave insight into the lives of children and parents who, for one reason or another, don’t have each other to closely hold. Those outcomes aren’t surprising, as the author is herself a mother as well as a social worker. Combine that experience with her skill with words, and you have a book I recommend, both as a beautifully written story and a segue to the world of fostering and kids-in-care.