Beautifully written and utterly absorbing from the first word, this is a haunting coming-of-age novel that's good enough to eat . . .

Abandoned by her mother with only some cash, her birth certificate and the rucksack on her back, a young woman named Maren sets off on a long journey of self-discovery.

She doesn't blame her mother for leaving; she's only too aware of the trail of pain and tragedy that lies in her wake, following her like a ghost. Innumerable schools and relocations later, Maren is determined to find the key to who she is, and why she does the things she does.

For Maren has urges that she can't control. Cannibalistic urges. And now she's desperate to take control.