Elise Abram

The Mummy Wore Combat Boots / Throwaway Child Elise Abram

In THE MUMMY WORE COMBAT BOOTS, when forensic anthropologist Palmer Richardson is called to investigate an uncatalogued sarcophagus found in storage at the Royal Ontario Museum, he has his work cut out for him. When the mummy inside proves to be that of a teenaged boy, Palmer involves Detective Constable Michael Crestwood of the Metropolitan Toronto Police. Their investigation delves into the world of online gaming where losing health points in a skirmish could have serious implications for a player's life in the real world. Inspired by real-life headlines, THE MUMMY WORE COMBAT BOOTS highlights the growing divide between children who live their lives immersed in a digital culture and the adults tasked with raising them who live in the real world. In THROWAWAY CHILD, the skeleton of a young girl is found beneath the cement basement floor of an abandoned Victorian in Toronto. On duty is Detective Constable Michael Crestwood who contacts forensic anthropologist Dr. Palmer Richardson to assist in the investigation. What they uncover is the story of a six year old Cree girl, stolen from her family, warehoused in a government run facility and then forgotten. In a story with ties to current headlines, THROWAWAY CHILD explores the injustice experienced by two girls imprisoned in a mid-twentieth century residential school and the tragic fallout ensuing as a result of one girl's need to find a home.