The Face on the Milk Carton—such an unusual title. I had no hesitation in picking up the paperback from a neat row of secondhand books at Smoker's Corner, the half-a-century-old bookstall in the Fort area of South Mumbai that has since closed down. I like a surprise catch. I rarely misjudge one.
Until then, I hadn't heard of American author Caroline B. Cooney, who wrote this award-winning 1990 novel, the first in her Janie Johnson series. The book was later adapted into a television film.
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As you can probably tell from the title and cover, The Face on the Milk Carton is about the mystery of a missing child. Janie Johnson is a teenager who one day sees the face of a little girl on a milk carton and is stunned to recognise herself in the photograph. The child had disappeared from a shopping mall in New Jersey twelve years earlier.
As you can probably tell from the title and cover, The Face on the Milk Carton is about the mystery of a missing child. Janie Johnson is a teenager who one day sees the face of a little girl on a milk carton and is stunned to recognise herself in the photograph. The child had disappeared from a shopping mall in New Jersey twelve years earlier.
I plan to read the book soon, even though it is written for young adults and I don't particularly like stories about missing children. But I'm curious. How does a girl come to recognise herself as a missing child? And what happens when she begins to suspect that the parents she has always known may not be her real parents?
The author has said that the idea for the novel came to her after she saw a poster of a missing three-year-old child at LaGuardia Airport. The girl had been missing for 15 years. Cooney wondered who might recognise a photograph of a child after so many years and realised that, perhaps, the person most likely to recognise the child could be the child herself. That simple but unsettling thought became the basis for The Face on the Milk Carton.
Cooney has been writing since 1979 and has published numerous novels for young adults across suspense, mystery, horror and romance. The Face on the Milk Carton, the first in her Janie Johnson series, was followed by several other books featuring the character. Her other works include The Vampire's Promise trilogy, the Losing Christina series and the Time Travelers Quartet. Her books have also won several awards and appeared on numerous book lists.
It's an intriguing premise, and I hadn't set out to look for a Caroline B. Cooney novel that day. It was simply one of those secondhand-book discoveries that make browsing worthwhile. Now I just have to read it and find out whether my surprise catch was as good as I thought it was.
Have you read Caroline B. Cooney's novels?
Sounds like a fascinating premise - I'll be interested to hear what you think of it...
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does, FictionFan. I think, this would be my fourth book about missing children. The narrative style is simple and in the mould of YA fiction.
DeleteI have not heard of this author and I agree, the idea she had for a novel is very interesting. I hope you read and review the book.
ReplyDeleteI hope to do that soon, Tracy. It's not a very long book, just under 200 pages which made me breathe easy right away.
DeleteOh, I am intrigued by this one, Prashant! What an interesting premise for a story! And Jamie's character sounds interesting, too. I'll be interested in what you think of it when you've finished it.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Margot. I didn't think twice before picking it up. I'm keen to find out what Janie does after she recognises herself as the three-year-old missing child.
DeleteVery interesting, Prashant. I too am looking forward to your review.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Neer. I hope to read and review the book as soon as I can.
DeleteThe author and story both new to me. sounds very interesting indeed.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Mystica. I liked the couple of pages I read.
DeleteThat is a cool title. Never read anything by her but she's now on my radar.
ReplyDeleteCharles, she has an easy style that I liked.
DeleteThat is a great title isn't it? I knew it already because it was a great favourite book of my daughter's when she was a teenager. I never read it - I'll have to ask her what she liked about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that, Moira. I'm also glad I picked up a good book.
DeleteThat's a great title and a great concept.
ReplyDeleteJenny, thank your visiting and commenting. The title is what lured me to this book. Besides, I'd never heard of the writer before.
DeleteAn unusual title for what seems to be a thrilling book.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Oscar. I often buy books based on titles alone. This one is certainly innovative.
DeleteI think the cover would have made me pick this one up, I hope you enjoy it when you get there.
ReplyDeleteThat's the same reason I did, Col. I hope to get to this book faster than I normally do with new buys.
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