The Stolen Child: Book summary and reviews of The Stolen Child by Ann Hood

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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!

Carole P. (Natick, MA)

The Stolen Child
Once again Ann Hood's writing draws you into the story, transports you to another time and place, then makes you need to keep reading until the end. It's been awhile since I last read her and I had forgotten what a wonderful writer she is. Thank you BookBrowse for reminding me.

Nick Burns had met a young woman artist at the end of World War One. She hands him her baby and then disappears. Nick leaves the baby in a trench, hoping that someone will find and care for him. Fifty some years later, he tries to find that baby.

SueZ

The Stolen Child
Ann Hood’s new book tells a bittersweet story of a search for atonement and for freedom from past mistakes. During a hurried journey across France and Italy, a seriously ill man and the young woman caring for him, find that the answers are there for them to discover in the end.

This is a book that is tailor made for a book club discussion, dealing with very human and relatable questions.

Gail K. (Saratoga Springs, NY)

Poignant and heart warming
From the first page, where I met Enzo, the man who runs The Museum of Tears in Naples in 1935, to the next chapter that introduced Nick, a young American soldier in a trench dug on the property of a farmhouse in France in 1917, to the following chapter set in 1973 that tells of Jenny, a young woman stuck in a dreary life, but who has big dreams, I was hooked. Ann Hood paints a marvelous picture of a lonely, guilt-ridden man and his companion, eager for a change in her life, on their quest to find the resolution to a long-held mystery. I couldn't put it down but deliberately slowed my reading as I approached the end, reluctant to finish this poignant, heart warming novel. I will recommend it to all my reading friends.

Beth P. (Chester, VA)

This Book Has it All!
This Book Has it All!

It has been a long time since I sat and read a book for hours, almost finishing it in one sitting, were it not for the late hour. The Stolen Child, by Ann Hood has everything you might want in a book. The author manages to weave in a mystery that keeps you guessing, characters you will feel attached to, and the most incredible scenery that almost jumps off the page. Most of the story takes place in Italy, and I could almost smell the delicious foods that were described so well. The story is about an older man and a huge regret that he has carried with him since he was 18. He finds help in solving this mystery from a young girl looking for adventure.She is just beginning to find herself after a traumatic event in her own life and is eager to leave home. Together they set off for Italy and take you back and forth in time. I got attached to the characters very quickly and cared what happened to them, something that is hugely important to me when reading any book. It captivated me and I could not put it down. I have read other books by Ann Hood and loved each one. If you want to read a book that will touch your heart, this book will reach out to you from the beginning and never let go til the last page.

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Other books by Ann Hood at BookBrowse

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