Making it through this week's reading was a little difficult for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was immediately drawn into the story, but found it extremely hard to read on when it came to Maggie's part. Especially, as others have mentioned, when it came to the punishment hook. It was so awful to read about that I found myself having to put the book down and come back later when I was more mentally prepared to deal with it. Every time the book turns to Maggie's story I can feel myself bracing, preparing for the worst.
My heart went out to Ian. I can't imagine how much pain he must be in not knowing where his daughter is or if he'll ever be able to see her again. He has never given up the hope that his daughter would be found alive. Hearing her voice on the end other of the phone had to be pure torture. To know after all this time he was right not to give up hope and then to still not be able to find her, must have been crushing. I think if put in the same situation as Ian, I would have a hard time functioning, let alone trying to go about my life, always wondering what had really happened the night his daughter disappeared.
I was stunned reading that Maggie was not the first child Henry and Beatrice have kidnapped. Knowing there were three other girls that came before Maggie was unimaginable to me. Henry is a horrific person and Beatrice in my opinion is no better. Although she is not the one physically hurting Maggie, she is allowing it to happen and also refuses to let her go. I cannot imagine all the horror Maggie has had to endure these last seven years.
I think the most shocking thing I read in this week's section was that Henry's brother, Donald, had brought Maggie books to read and even gives her lessons. He obviously knows that Maggie is being held captive in Henry's basement and hasn't told anyone. I went back to reread when we first meet Donald at the liquor store and Ian and Chief Davis give him the physical description Maggie gave to Ian of her captor. Donald lets out a strange giggle and grins then says, "You described damn near half the fat old alcoholics in town. You just described my brother Henry". I found myself screaming at Ian, Yes, it's Henry. Go find him. I'm curious to see what role if any Donald has played while Maggie's been in captivity.
There were two interesting things I've noticed while reading. The first thing I've noticed is that that author doesn't use traditional quotation marks to indicate that someone is speaking. I wonder if there's any significance to that that will be revealed as we read on. The second is that when switching from one character's story to another, there are no indications, like a space between paragraphs. The only way I've been able to tell there is a switch coming is that the next character's storyline has not been indented. It feels a little jarring to me when the change of characters is so abrupt, but at the same time it seems very fitting to the book.
This has been a good read so far and I'm anxious to read next week's section.
April
