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Shirley F

Historical fiction from WWII and 1974
This historical novel begins in 1917 with WWI in the trenches where a young American soldier, Nick, is painting a mural on the walls. A French woman hands his a bundle - a baby boy swaddled in a blanket, and 2 small paintings of the countryside with a blue figure- with a note "His name is Laurent." As the soldier holds the child, he realizes that he can't carry him through the war, so he leaves him near a well in the center of the village and evades the encroaching Germans.

Forward to 1974 when we meet Jenny, an intelligent young woman who dropped out of college, and is now working at IHOP as a waitress. She has a dream of going to Capri and meeting a boyfriend there while he work on his thesis on the poet Pablo Neruda. When she learns of a job as a companion to an elderly man (Nick) who wants to go to France and Italy, she interviews for the job and the two set off on an adventure to find the child (now around 60 yrs old) and the artist who left him with Nick along with the paintings.

This book kept my interest throughout and provided a quick trip to both France and Italy. The characters were memorable, well drawn, realistic, ordinary people with hopes and dreams. Yes, they had regrets, but they also were determined to pursue their mission to the end.

I thought the ending was poignant- a little sad, and a little hopeful - and it wrapped up the novel beautifully.

I received an ARC from Bookbrowse and the publisher and the opinions expressed here are entirely my own. I will be recommending this book to my book groups because there is a lot to discuss in it.

Regina G. (Groveland, FL)

A wonderful gem
This book shares the life of a man, Nick, facing a gut-wrenching decision during war that shapes his entire existence. As he nears life's end, he revisits his past, supported by unforgettable companions. The characters are compelling and memorable—I found myself longing to know their futures beyond the story.

The setting is beautifully shared, with a suspenseful quest to uncover 'le petit chou' keeping the pages turning. Nick's poignant struggle and its profound impact are deeply moving, while Jenny's evolution and final decisions are heartening.

This novel is a gem that will lift your spirits and also break your heart a little. It weaves elements of intrigue and heartfelt moments into a deeply moving story.

Bonne O. (Hartwell, GA)

The Impossible Quest
I really enjoyed The Stolen Child because the characters motivations seemed real and their task appeared impossible. As the tortured WWI vet and his college dropout assistant undertook the mission to find a child from WWI, I immediately became engrossed in their journey. With no professional experience, they cleverly start to unravel the mystery of the past. There are the inevitable twists and turns, ups and downs, discoveries and setbacks but through it all you get to witness personal growth, enlightenment and self realization.

Chris (CA)

The Stolen Child
At the beginning, I was curious how the seemingly very different story lines in this book would eventually intersect. A story of lost souls looking for forgiveness for past decisions and actions. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, as is the story telling. Character development was good, and I cared about what happened to them. I really liked this book. So many topics for book clubs to tackle. I will look for more books by this author.

Linda J. (Urbana, OH)

The Stolen Child Stole My Mind and Heart
A story to keep the reader guessing until very close to the end. Multiple characters whose stories start separately end up intertwining when curmudgeon Nick, a dying WW I veteran, places an ad for someone to help him solve a problem that has bothered him for close to 60 years.

Jennifer is a young college dropout working at an IHOP answers the ad. Soon, despite Nick's concerns, the two are off to France to see if they can find out what happened to a woman and a baby that Nick met at the end of the war.
Beautiful writing unveil a beautiful story strong on emotional tugs and ties. A few periphery characters move in and out of the story, but all story lines merge at the end for an edifying finish.

Since there is a scattering of French and Italian phrases, depending on where the detective work takes Nick and Jennifer, I was thrilled that even after more than 50 years, my three years of high school French are still functional.

Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)

A Storyteller's Great Gift to Readers
The Stolen Child by Ann Hood clearly was written by a very good author and great storyteller. Storytellers are a gift to humanity. The title comes from a poem by W.B. Yeats, some of the characters have a connection to Pablo Neruda - the story is told so poetically that one almost expects to hear a rhyme sooner or later! There is more than one artist in this story and their works are described so carefully that one can envision the work almost perfectly. The tale begins near the end of the First World War in France and ends over 50 years later in Italy...and along the way solves more than one mystery, explains and resolves more than one heartbreak, and has involved the reader intimately in this powerful, believable, human story. All my book groups will hear about it!

...16 more reader reviews

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