“Where is Lisa Marie Young?” Exploring a life beyond a disappearance
Where is Lisa Marie Young? on display at Windowseat Books. (Luis Zablah / CHLY 101.7FM)
More than 24 years after Lisa Marie Young disappeared from Nanaimo, seasoned author teamed up with a local resident for a new book focused on celebrating her life.
Lisa Marie Young was 21 when she disappeared from Nanaimo on June 30, 2002. She was last seen leaving a party with a man, reportedly to get something to eat. To this day, her case remains unsolved, with local Nanaimo authorities still investigating her disappearance as a suspected homicide.
Two decades later her story is still being told, with the release of a book titled Where is Lisa Marie Young? by Norah Caldwell and Carolann Bosma. The new book seeks to celebrate Young’s life, moving past her disappearance and focusing on who Nanaimo lost that day.
Norah Caldwell, co author of the book spoke on how it came to be.
“ Well, my sister, Laura Palmer, is the woman who produces and creates "Island Crime." And "Island Crime" is a podcast, a true crime podcast about missing and murdered not necessarily indigenous people, but people on the island. So back in 2020 when she was just beginning to create the podcast, she sent me the raw first episodes of the "Where is Lisa?" season, which was her first season. And I read them, and I became very interested in learning more about Lisa, and I think ever since then I've been focused on the process of helping to find Lisa.”
Caldwell had previously written fiction, but noted this was her first entry into the nonfiction genre. She was initially hesitant when her sister asked for her to work on the book, however, she was finally convinced once Carolann Bosma reached out to help with the project. Caldwell said that instead of adding to the reporting on Young’s disappearance, she wanted to explore her life.
“Once Carolann and I started talking, Carolann expressed that she hoped that people needed to know that Lisa was more than the last 12 hours of her life. So together we thought we could create a fuller picture of Lisa, her family, her friends, and really the rest of the story.”
Carolann Bosma is the co-author of the book and Young’s foster sister who grew up with her. Bosma first reached out with journal entries that she had written throughout the years, dating back to Lisa’s disappearance. Caldwell explains their collaboration developed organically, with Bosma’s memories bringing deeper insights into Lisa’s life.
Caldwell described the collaboration process between the two authors.
“It wasn't even really a plan. We just kind of started talking, and I realized that Carolann's point of view, having known Lisa so well and having really advocated for her, Carolann and her other friends are amazing social justice advocates. But I felt like together, when we were working together, that we could create something maybe a little bit different and bring a more nuanced version of Lisa to the book.”
Bosma saw the book as an opportunity to share a personal perspective on Lisa’s life and the impact of her disappearance.
She went into detail on what she wanted readers to understand.
“I wanted to also share about how a family has to hold grief and hold it when there is no closure and also continue to just move forward in advocating for your loved one and what that looks like behind closed doors.”
Bosma described the writing process as a deeply personal experience. She added Caldwell’s perspective as someone learning about Lisa for the first time helped find memories she might not have revisited. She described Young as a person with the ability to befriend anyone, drawing people to her with her positivity.
Bosma noted her experience during the writing process.
“It was personal in the sense, a lot of times writing, those entries in the book, I like cried through it because, it brings up the grief and it brings up the loss and you also, as you're providing that reflection, you're also realizing certain moments in your life that she missed out on or never got to experience.”
Young’s memory still remains with her. She recalls attending her first concert with her and their foster sister Becky. Although Bosma initially didn't want to go, Young encouraged her, and the weekend became one of her lasting memories of their relationship.
Bosma described her experience growing up with Young.
“She was someone that always made me slow down, you know? And remember the important stuff, which was, like, connection and relationship and memories, and she was really good at that.”
Beyond documenting Young’s life, Bosma said she wanted the book to give readers an understanding of what families experience when a loved one disappears and the search for answers continues.
A book launch was held on Wednesday November 4th, at the North Nanaimo branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, where Lisa Marie Young’s life was celebrated.
Co-author, Norah Caldwell, reflected on the book launch.
“I feel that it was important to do the launch in Nanaimo. A lot of Lisa's family members are from there, and I think it means something to the people of Nanaimo to realize that they're still needed because Lisa hasn't come home yet.”
If you or anyone you know have any relevant or important information to the search of Lisa Marie Young please call the RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit at 250-754-2345.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.
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