Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

As part of a blog tour, I read Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. The novel follows the adventures of the contestants in a reality television show somewhat along the lines of The Amazing Race. The two main characters are a mother and daughter team, but the book is also narrated from the view points of several other characters, including the “ex-gay” Christian couple (who are using the show to promote their “ex-gay” ministry).

The book looks at the intricacies of parenting through traumatic situations, the nature of reality, what it means to keep a secret and the definition of shame. It also deals with the “reality” of reality TV. I know I wondered several times if Parkhurst had even been on one (nope). The changing of narrators every chapter in a way also reminded me of the way that reality shows have to jump from story line to story line.

Like Christine at The Bean Blog, I rooted for the “ex-gay” couple not necessarily to win the game (I was very pleased with who won the game!) but because I really believe that their characters largely represented how difficult it would be to choose to leave a gay lifestyle. They didn’t instantly change; they still worked on it every day. And like Christine at The Bean Blog, I was terribly disappointed when, as she put it, “when they couldn’t be true to themselves.”

It was a very fast read—I read it in two days and it’s nearly 300 pages long (and I have a part time job and a small child, so I thought that was pretty quick). It’s good for a fast summer read. Oddly enough, after finishing (though I was glad to be through), I wanted to know what ended up airing on the show (the book ends soon after the end of taping).

(I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you that there are a couple of scenes I considered quite graphic and it’s definitely not something you want your kids reading!)