Missing: He was brilliant and troubled and for thirty-five years he lived alone in the wild … then there was silence

Beautifully written and affecting, this is the true story of a young man caught in a world he can’t control and how he finds a way to survive

‘This compelling, moving tale is unlike anything I have ever read. Intimate and vivid, Tom Patterson has found beauty and meaning amid the sorrow.’ - Malcolm Knox

‘An inside look into an outsiders world, tenderly and beautifully told.’ - Greg Bearup

Hey mate, Pete and Steve have been talking to some people who live around the national park where Mark lives … nobody has seen him for months … We’re about to head into the gorge … I’ll let you know what we find …

In 1972 Mark May is eighteen. He is bright, beautiful and has a scholarship to study law. Ten years later he descends alone into remote gorge country in north-western New South Wales. He lives in rough camps and stays for thirty-five years. Then, on a feeling, his brothers go looking for him.

Missing is a true story of immense emotional force. It tells of a broken life and a ruptured family but is also a spare and eloquent story of survival that carries a deep humanity. It announces a significant new talent in Australia writing.