Despite what its title may imply, “The Missing Portrait” by Geraldine Glodek is not a traditional mystery but several brilliantly conceived psychological portraits woven into a gripping character drama.
The plot centers on Mary Frances McDonald, a Catholic girl growing up in a Pennsylvania mining town who, under scandalous circumstances, conceives an out-of-wedlock child in the 11th grade.
Due to the nature of the unspeakable conception, Mary Frances does not know who the father is, the sex of the baby, or where it really ended up. This leads her to return to the mining town after nearly 30 years to seek answers and this is when the novel really kicks in.
The main antagonist of the story, Tim Giovannini, is a sociopath who suffers from arrested development. He is still bitter that he wasn’t in contention at the time to be considered as an unknown father to Mary Frances’ baby and this feeling is compounded by his being rejected by her shortly after the “incident.”
When Giovannini hears of Mary Frances’ return he sees an opportunity for twisted revenge when he espies a homeless woman who looks like McDonald in her youth. He does not know if the resemblance is a coincidence or not and it doesn’t matter because either way he will get his jollies at their expense...
The homeless woman’s name is Sharon and she struggles with incontinence. This detail is not simply an affectation on the author’s part but a window to understanding as to why this optimistic, good-natured, generous woman is in the situation she is in. It is also why, on the reader’s part, she breaks your heart.
Sharon wants to find her real mother as much as Mary Frances wants to find her child so both are ripe for Tim’s evil mechanizations.
They are many more people in this book whose mind-sets and motivations are explored and they all weave in and out of the plot gracefully.
Despite changes in settings and time periods and the number of characters this is a novel where you won’t feel lost thanks to the crisp writing style of Glodek.
This is a book that deserves to be held in one’s hands with the touch of paper at your fingertips. ( )