Have You Found Her?-Janice Erlbaum

Have You Found Her?
Janice Erlbaum
Villard, Mar 3 2008, $13.95
ISBN: 9780812974577

Twenty years ago, as a young teen, Janice Erlbaum lived for a while in a homeless shelter for teens (see A HALFWAY HOMELESS MEMOIR and GIRLBOMB, not reviewed by me). Overcoming the dope and returning home now in her thirties, she felt a deep need to give back what was given to her by that New York shelter: her life. Thus she volunteered her time where she would bring her bag of beads and related paraphernalia to teach those who remind her of her fourteen years old Janice how to make jewelry. There she meets nineteen years old junkie Samantha Dunleavy, who told her she traveled the country with her meth chef dad and junkie mom, and sold her body as needed. Janice became like a big sister to the intelligent “junkie savant” and was always there when Sam needed her especially when her protégé had accidents. However over time Janice begins to realize Sam’s saga was filled with incongruities as a twelve-years-old runaway from a drug traveling show should not be a trained classical pianist. Janice finally makes some inquiries into her beloved “ward” learning a shocking past.

This is a terrific memoir that focuses deep on a savior being saved from her obsession by an apparent schemer. Ms. Erlbaum provides a combination cautionary saga with a bit of real life sleuthing, but in many ways Samantha and the “Redhead” at the beginning of Ms. Erlbaum’s adventure steal the show. Although well written and gut wrenching, the overarching issue of what society should do with runaway teens and tweens is never deeply explored; still Ms. Erlbaum makes a strong case that volunteering is good for the soul, but walk cautiously before you give away your heart as the author confesses when she was the runaway lying was her norm; while an alternate title considered for HAVE YOU FOUND HER? sums that up: “Sucker: A Love Story”.

Harriet Klausner