You describe the lunch in Boston as strange and bizarre saying, "For one thing.." and mentioning Vinnie's silence; but that's the only thing mentioned, not one of several. His silence by itself seems rather normal and expected given the circumstance, not odd. Other than that, I enjoyed the chapter.
Given that your story is in this (or something indistinguishable from this) world, and the time frame it takes place, I don't think you could have not incorporated those horrible events into it somehow.
In the paragraph halfway-down that starts, "However, that situation quickly changed" , after four sentences it starts over with the first words of the chapter. It then continues on through the entire chapter again. So all of it gets repeated.
Was surprised to have not read any about how Pat dealt w. being around large groups of people in their last trip, or how others reacted to him and his scarring; or how his vision affected his enjoyment of the sights.
Description says one of the kids, "has a unique gift, which turns out to be a precursor to the family’s first major setback" I'd assumed the problem w. Patrick was the "major setback" but there has been no "unique gift" yet, unless I've missed it. Of course, I'm only 2/3rs the way through this Book so perhaps the items referenced in the description have yet to arise.
No, I was referring to the school counselor who talked to his parents. Getting his parents to relinquish custody in the aftermath was definitely necessary.
I hope Sally's friend had a chat w. the counselor too. That was a flagrant ethics violation. I have a friend who is a psychologist, If she knew of someone who had done that IRL she'd have filed a licensing complaint - if not verbally shred the person as well.
I had an Aunt who, back when I was in Junior High School, was a foster parent. What some of the kids she fostered had been through was horrifying. Most people wouldn't treat their dogs the way some of those kids were abused.
Love the description of wonder at the openness of the plains; and of the sky, moon, and stars that had only been seen in glimpses (reminded of the fable of the blind men and the elephant). Their arguing w. the wizard even after knowing they had lost the argument helps reinforce that these are still young guys, not adults.
I liked this, but it felt like the start of a completely different story than the chapters before it. Less of a Prologue, and more like an unconnected parallel tale.