"The not-knowing. That's the mental and emotional cancer.
.... The not-knowing is mad-making."
No one knows how many people go missing in North America's National Parks or other wilderness areas every year. There's no list or database. But I bet the number is higher than anyone thinks. After all, there's a lot of forest and wilderness in America. Over 800 million acres. Even in Utah, where I live, hikers, campers and hunters go missing every year in our mountains. Most are found. But not all. Some just vanish.
In early April 2017, Jacob Gray's bicycle and gear were found near the Sol Duc River in Olympic National Park in Washington. There was no sign of Jacob. In The Cold Vanish, Jon Billman chronicles the search for Jacob over the following weeks and months. He also writes about other cold vanishings across North America and what makes the searches for these missing people so difficult. And so puzzling. Some of these mysteries have sad endings, but many are never solved.
I found this book fascinating. Jon Billman is a gifted writer and natural storyteller. And the stories of all the missing are sometimes heartbreaking, often mystifying, and always compelling. If I decide to do a list of my favorite nonfiction reads of 2021, this book will definitely be near the top.
Happy Reading!
This sounds intriguing. So many millions of acres in which to locate a small human. Great review, Lark.
ReplyDeleteAnd so easy to get lost in all those millions of acres!
DeleteA disturbing thought, that so many people actually go missing around national parks/ sanctuaries! Can we lay it all on wild animals or weather problems? Think not. Phew. Now you've made me very interested in this book!
ReplyDeleteIt's a fascinating read. :)
DeleteI've read more non fiction the last few years than I ever did before!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to read more nonfiction this year, because I really do like it, but I tend to prioritize the fiction books on my TBR list for some reason.
DeleteThis sounds like a fascinating read. It's scary, and sad, to think about all the people who go missing in wilderness areas.
ReplyDeleteAnd crazy that it happens so often! I never knew so many people went missing without a trace each year.
DeleteThis sounds really interesting. It reminds me a bit of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. Several months ago there was a big story in the news here about five people who had gone missing on one of our local mountain ranges. The authorities decided to make the story public because they couldn't figure out why so many people would go missing around the same time who seemingly had no connection. I don't think they ever found one, although I believe one or two of the people were later found. I do remember the police saying it wasn't uncommon for someone to go missing now and then, but usually not in a cluster like that.
ReplyDeleteThat is strange that so many people went missing all at the same time! Makes you wonder what really happened out there.
DeleteThis sounds like such a fascinating book that I have to go and look it up. As usual we have similar tastes. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe do like to read the same kind of books a lot of the time! :D
DeleteWhat an interesting, though sad premise.
ReplyDeleteSome of the stories in this book were very sad.
DeleteI hardly ever read non-fiction, but this sounds like a book I'd enjoy. I wonder if Jacob was ever found? And I wonder if most of the missing are lone hikers? Really kind of scary when you think about it. I do day hikes alone, but they're well-traveled trails. I have my phone and my hubby and kids have me on their "find-my-friends" app so I think I'd probably be easy to find.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about sticking to well-traveled trails if I go hiking alone. Even then I can spook myself. Mostly I prefer hiking with other people. (And the book does tell you what happened with Jacob at the end.)
DeleteSounds really good, Lark. All that wilderness is tempting to lots of people, and some of them are not exactly the stable type. I wonder how many innocent campers and hikers are claimed by people who have disappeared into the woods to live their lives in isolation for some reason or another. What a perfect place, too, for domestic terrorists to get lost until they are ready to do something destructive.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's a lot more of that happening than we're aware of, too.
DeleteThis sounds like a very good story. I can easily see how people can (seemingly) vanish, and I can easily see how hard it might be to find lost people in wilderness areas.
ReplyDeleteIt's very easy to lose sight of the trail and get lost in some of those forested areas especially.
DeleteThat sounds interesting. I bet there are a lot more people who have gone missing that no one knows about.
ReplyDeleteWhich is so crazy to think about in this day and age where we're all so connected.
DeleteThis sounds very interesting and sad actually. I cannot imagine going on what you expect to be a fun adventure and then you end up missing! Great review.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iliana. It's a very compelling read! :)
DeleteNot knowing would be the worst. One has to wonder what actually happens in some of those cases.
ReplyDeleteIt's those cases where they never figure out what happened that are so haunting. And so sad.
DeleteThis kind of book tends to creep me out...because its true. And I don't like camping. Give me indoor toilets every time. I think I could only read it in the daylight.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of camping, but not the actuality of it. Tents are not very comfortable, and I'm a big fan of hot water and indoor plumbing. :)
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting but sad read. I've been trying to read a little more nonfiction this year so I'll have to keep this one in mind.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to read more nonfiction this year, too. And I lucked into this book. It's a really good read.
DeleteThis sounds like both a fascinating and a sad read, Lark. Hiking could be fun, but it'd also be dangerous when out in the huge, unknown wilderness.
ReplyDeleteHiking is most dangerous when people don't go prepared and leave the trail. Which seems to happen fairly often where I live. If you stay on the trail you're usually okay.
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