Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie R. Rendon

I read Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie R. Rendon to complete the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge prompt about a character who runs a marathon.

Quill is out for a run on the reservation where she lives in Minnesota one day when she hears a scream. She reports the scream to the police, who do a half-assed investigation and when she returns to the scene of the scream the next day, she finds an earring and tire tracks. From this point on, Quill sinks deeper and deeper into the mystery of women going missing. 

This novel draws attention to the plight of murdered and missing indigenous women in the United States and Canada. Women in indigenous communities go missing at a higher rate than other communities, as well as face higher levels of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and murder. Quill's experience here shows the ripple effects it has on all women, including those who are in stable, healthy relationships with safe homes. Quill is herself in danger when she starts investigating the disappearance of her friends, she has to change her running plans and routes because of the danger, and at one point, she's in danger of losing her children. And Quill has done nothing wrong, but because she lives on a reservation and is a woman, her life is impacted. If you then imagine what it's like for women who might lead riskier lifestyles, it all compounds in a messy stew of danger. 

I really feel like Rendon does a great job of weaving in details about Quill's daily life - what she cooks, wears, and chores she completes that are sometimes quite different from what my life - without this becoming a preachy book that veers off course from what is, at its heart, a thriller. 

It was an interesting setting and an interesting topic. There wasn't too much about running, but just enough so that you know it's important to Quill. I liked the female relationships Quill had with her friends and relatives. Sometimes it's nice to know that there are women out there who like other women, you know? 

It is a thriller and there are descriptions of violence against women, so if that's a dealbreaker for you, be forewarned. 

4/5 stars

Lines of note:

After running Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, she set her sights on the Boston Marathon. (page 25)

Justification for using this book in this PSRC prompt.

Quinn put Cheerios, water, an apple, and gummy fruit snacks into a bag. Living in northern Minnesota meant you never left home for a drive in the winter without extra food, blankets, and good winter boots. (page 41)

I had a colleague who had a flat tire once on a major interstate (I-39/I-90 for the locals) on his morning commute on a cold, slushy day. He got frostbite ON HIS KNEES. There's always a blanket or towel in our car and if I'm wearing dressy clothes to get to work, I throw my winter boots and snowpants in the back, too during the winter. I never have to pack food because I always have food with me. I honestly can't imagine living somewhere where you have to think about these things. 

Quill struggled to tell one white guy from another. (page 67)

Preach it, yo. Cross-racial identification is challenging. 

Things I looked up:

Strong Women's Song - an anthem for Indigenous women's empowerment and strength, and signal the distinct challenges Indigenous women face. It was composed in the 1990s by some of the inmates in the Prison for Women (often referred to as P4W) in Kingston, Ontario, as a means of communicating among and offering support to one other while they were in their cells (they tapped on pipes and metals bars with the drum beat and sang aloud). (source - I have university credentials and downloaded the full article. If anyone wants the article, let me know)

On the third round, the women, who were carrying their kookum scarves or had them tied on their wrists, counted coup on the door like they did on the pickup trucks and big SUVs...(page 205, emphasis mine)

Among the Plains Indians of North America, counting coup (coup is French for 'blow' or 'shock') is the warrior tradition of winning prestige against an enemy in battle. It is one of the traditional ways of showing bravery in the face of an enemy and involves intimidating him, and, it is hoped, persuading him to admit defeat, without having to kill him. Historically, any blow struck against the enemy counted as a coup, but the most prestigious acts included touching an enemy warrior with a hand, bow, or coup stick and escaping unharmed, and without harming the enemy, except for the enemy's wounded pride.

Hat mentions (why hats?): 

No hat. (page 73)

wearing a hat (page 91)

duckbill hats (page 118)

beaded top hat (page 147)

passed the hat (page 200)

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Do you stock your car differently during different seasons? I always have a snack with me and it's generally trail mix or a granola bar. What are you go to snacks to have when you're leaving the house?