Caroline is 13 years old and lives at the edge of the forest with her father. He has created a hut of sorts from a small cave using wire and brush from the forest. Inside there is a mattress and small bookshelves that hold portions of an encyclopedia set. Caroline hasn't gotten past E yet, but she knows how to walk on stones so that she leaves no foot prints on the forest floor, and how to zigzag so quietly through the forest that she can be right next to you without you ever knowing of her presence. Their existence must be kept a secret because the authorities don't understand or appreciate their way of life. Once a month, she and Father go into town to the post office to pick up his veteran's check and to cash it at the bank. They buy supplies and then disappear back into the forest. They have a garden and a lookout high in the trees where Caroline goes for alone time. On one such day a runner happens by and changes Caroline's life forever. What does it mean to be civilized? My Abandonment asks that question.