One of my favorite authors T. Greenwood has done it again in her soon to be released novel Rust & Stardust. It has been sixteen years since I have read a T. Greenwood novel. Her books Undressing The Moon, Nearer Than The Sky and Breathing Waters were a few of the books that got me hooked on reading. Needless to say I was so exciting to be given the ARC, Rust & Stardust, to read, by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review. I absolutely love the way T. Greenwood puts words on paper. Rust & Stardust is an emotionally draining, beautifully written story based on a true life event. It is the story of Sally Horner who was abducted in 1948 by Frank La Salle a 50 year old mechanic. I must say the end of this novel is what really clenched my heart. Sally, unknowingly impacted so many lives during the two years she was missing. She impacted the women she met in the different states she was taken, along with the hundreds of people that were following her story. Reading Sally’s story through T. Greenwood’s eyes has now emotionally impacted me.

Rust and Stardust is the story of Sally Horner, an 11-year old girl who was kidnapped by Frank La Salle in 1948. T. Greenwood took the true facts of the case and used them to spin a story of what may have happened to young Sally in the years she was forced to travel across the country with La Salle. This story is gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and at times very hard to read. It is told in many points of view, from Sally, to her mother, to the various people Sally meets along the way.

There are no words to describe the utter heartbreak I have after finishing this book. Sally is such a strong character, a strong person, and one that has definitely left an impression on me. I’m impressed with the way T. Greenwood has taken such a serious and awful subject and found a way to tell Sally’s story in a delicate and non-graphic way. Though I’ve added the trigger warnings above, the author does not spell out the terrible scenes in a graphic detail, but uses more of a fade-to-black method.

I have children of my own and my heart aches for the families that have had to go through something like this. This seems like a very melancholy review, but if you’re at all interested in Sally Horner’s kidnapping, I encourage you to read this book and then do some of your own research into the case.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This story of child abduction could have been ripped from the pages of a current newspaper, however, it was not. It is 1948 and it is the story of Sally Horner who, along with her mother, Ella, were tricked into believing Frank LaSalle, aka Mr. Warner, aka Mr. Peterson, was an upstanding individual when in fact he was an ex-con, a sexual predator targeting young girls.
When she is caught stealing a notebook by Mr. Warner, who claims to be FBI, Sally agrees to his plan in order to stay out of juvenile prison. He tells her the judge in Atlantic City will have to hear her story and might exonerate her. Her mother in Camden, NJ never has to know about her daughters unspeakable crime.
Ella Horner is told he is Mr. Peterson, the father of Sally's friend and he will gladly take Sally to Atlantic City to join his family for a weeks vacation. Sally is only 11 years old, a bright little girl but she's scared so she follows the plan.
When one week becomes three her family begins to recognize that this vacation seems very suspicious and only then begin to take action.
Author, T. Greenwood's novel retells Sally's true story, which inspired Nabakov to write Lolita, in a page turning, heart wrenching, spine tingling, suspenseful fashion. The conclusion will stun you.
Special thanks go out to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this novel before it's August publication date.

★ 4 / 5 ★

This book went through it’s ups and downs, but I’m happy to say that, in the end, I enjoyed it immensely. Trust me, push through the slow-is beginning (at least it was for me), because once you’re invested, this book doesn’t let go.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC—I’m grateful, as always!

And with this book not being out yet, I won’t give too much away in this review (content wise).

Rust and Stardust is a story centered around Sally Horner—a girl who is “stolen” by a man/rapist posing to be an FBI agent and her struggles of living with him as she yearns to be back with her mother. I actually didn’t know this story revolved around the actual Sally Horner case in the 1900s; it literally uses real names, settings, and events. That was a neat surprise to find out in the Notes section in the book. Apparently Lolita was also based off of Sally Horner’s case. Must have been a big deal.

It’s funny because 1/4th of the way into this, I wanted to give up because it wasn’t interesting me as much as I wanted it to. However, thankfully for whatever reason, I didn’t put it aside, which is why I still stand by one of my updates where I said, “Ya’ll truly need to read this when it comes out.” Slow beginning or not, this is a wonderfully written novel.

Overall, do I think it could’ve have a better beginning? Yes. But I also think that everything afterwards made up for it. Or maybe you won’t think the beginning is slow, that’ll great, you’ll love the book then and probably give it 5 stars. Either way, if you’re into psychological thrillers that are based off of actual crimes (where you can look up the facts as you read), this is for you.

Really though, I think anyone could find something to like about this book—not only thriller fans. It's a great read!

I had no idea this was based on a true story from a kidnapping that took place in 1948.
I had a hard time with this book, mainly because Sally Horner (the victim) is around the same age as my kids and I couldn't help but think the worst. What started out as a dare, turned into a nightmare as she was stopped by a man who claimed to be an FBI agent when he was really recently released from prision. He convinces Sally if she doesn't not cooperate with him, he will put her in jail.
It reminded me a little of "I know my first name is steven" except it seems like more people picked up a weird vibe when the pair was out in public. However Frank (the man who took her) is always prepared for the worst and was one step ahead of everyone.

This is a sad and heartbreaking book. Like I said, it was hard for me to seperate from the book due the similiarities between Sally and my own children.

Thanks to Net galley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.
I have always been a fan of this author.
The author always creates heart wrenching characters you identify with.
This book is hard to read as it deals with innocence lost but also the redemptive power of love.
The book deals with real life and that’s ok

This completely mystified me and blew me away. This is fiction novel based on a true crime - the kidnapping of Sally Horner in the late 1940s. This was the story that inspired Nabokov’s “Lolita” - his most famed novel.

This is such a sad, gripping, and hopeless story in so many ways. The author does a phenomenal job with telling Sally’s story, while also adding her creativity to make a fictional story come to life. Everyone read this!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a tough read. Knowing that this book was based on a true story was heartbreaking. Thinking about all the children stolen and abused is such a horrible thing.
This book is well written. The characters are fully fleshed out, even the disposable ones. The constant moving and the guilt surrounding all of these people was heartbreaking.
Sally is a character who never had a chance. All of her life was surrounded by one tragedy after another. Watching her try to understand and continue on was devastating.
I appreciate being given the he opportunity to read an arc of this book. .

Review: RUST & STARDUST by T. Greenwood

RUST & STARDUST is a brilliant novel, one which not just wrenches the reader's heart, but rips it away. Based on the actual true crime case which inspired Nabokov' s LOLITA, RUST& STARDUST is an incredibly painful read, yet a consciousness-expanding experience. (I think the last time a book affected me this tremendously, it was my reading of Susan Brownmiller's AGAINST OUR WILL, at Thanksgiving 1976. Both gave me the perception of being shifted into a new reality and my metaphorical eyes forced open, to truly "see.")

While I waited to acquire RUST & STARDUST, I did some small research into the factual case. (Tis true, I, once an English major, have not read LOLITA.) The facts of the case by themselves are horrifying and the outcome is tragic. We can read of it, and sympathize. Author T. Greenwood isn't content with surface sympathy: she digs so deeply into her characters, peeling off every single layer down deep to the soul. We don't just observe pragmatically and unemotionally. We, the reader, FEEL. We are present. We suffer.

Another aspect of consciousness I bring away from this traumatic novel is an awareness of the banality of evil. The criminal here is no brilliant intellect such as Leopold and Loeb; no, "Frank" is of low intelligence and no social adeptness. Indeed, he is an outlier, beyond normal society, virtually unaware of consensus society. His mantra--rather, nothing so consciously chosen, but simply his driving force, never his raison d'etre, because that requires conscious process--the drive which ever propels him is "I want, therefore I get." He does not consider others' needs, desires, or rights, for of this he is simply incapable. Like an adult-sized infant, he lives to feed his hungers, and the Outside World simply exists to supply his needs. He operates on instinctual cunning, much like a marine snail will conceal itself at the threat of danger.

I have read recollections of the banality of evil concerning the Holocaust, and in regard to serial killers such as Henry Lee Lucas of Texas. Never before RUST & STARDUST have I achieved such a visceral awareness of its existence and prevalence, and an understanding that just perhaps the banality of evil is the most terrifying danger of all.

A gut-wrenching and hauntingly beautiful book about the real-life abduction of Sally Horner in the 40s, reimagined into a fictional book about how such an abduction that spanned almost 2 years was possible and the effects on those that were left behind.

This book was so good and at times mind boggling that the abduction and some lies were true.... it showed a good picture of what times were like in the 40s/50s and really explored (fictionally) what happened during the years Frank La Salle lied to and manipulated an 11 year old girl and everyone they encountered, as well as what happened to the sister, mother, brother in law, and people Sally interacted with before and after her abduction.

As a mother, it was heart breaking to read at times. A well-written book that I would recommend to anyone who could stomach these crimes.

"She curled herself into a ball and imagined she was made not of bones but of sticks. Twigs. Gnarled and brittle limbs broken off from their roots. She and the tumbleweeds were no different, both of them at the whim of a terrible wind."

I'll preface this review by saying that Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is my favorite book thus this story by T. Greenwood was a must-read for me. Rust & Stardust is a fictional rendering of the real-life kidnapping of eleven year old Sally Horner in 1948. This case is briefly mentioned by Nabokov in his novel therefore it is widely speculated that Sally's story may have been the inspiration for Lolita.

There is nothing light in this book, it is dark from beginning to end. Greenwood has done an exceptional job at weaving this true crime plot into imaginary existence. The writing is beyond reproach with fully developed credible characters that walk you through this tragedy seamlessly. Highly recommend.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I stated in another review, I do not like historical fiction. It bores me. It takes a well-written book in that genre to captivate me. That is exactly what Rust & Stardust did. Captivated me. I couldn't put this book down. I had to read what was going to happen to Sally. I needed to know if she was ever reunited with her mother. I needed to know what was going to happen to Frank.

What I wasn't expecting, when I started reading this book, was the connection it had to Lolita. The author explains it in the author's note at the end of the book. That was something that made me go "Hmmmm" when I read it. Without this awful kidnapping, that book wouldn't have happened. It would have been burned.

The plot of Rust & Stardust was rather easy to follow. Sally was caught stealing a notebook from Woolworth's as part of a dare from a group of girls she wanted to be friends with. Frank sees her, tells her that he is with the FBI and she will go to jail if she doesn't do what he says. Within the next few days, Sally is on a train to Atlantic City with Frank. She convinced her mother that Frank was her friend's father and he was taken her to the shore to meet up with her. When Sally isn't home by the time Frank said she would be, Sally's mother becomes concerned. Then frightened when the police tell her that Frank is a bad man (read the book to find out how bad). Sally is moved across the country. She is beaten and raped. She is under Frank's control. Until she meets Ruth. But can Ruth help Sally escape Frank? Will Sally go home?

Rust & Stardust was told from 12 different POV's. Yes, 12 different POV's. I usually can't handle more than 2 before I start getting confused. But, in this case, it worked. I was able to go between POV's fine and wasn't lost. What I didn't like is that some POV's were only once. Then they were dropped from the story. But those POV's added more insight to what Sally was going through in the book.

I felt awful for Sally during the book. She went through hell with Frank. I wish that she had been rescued earlier in the book but it wouldn't have matched up with real-life events. She did have an inner strength that was showcased throughout the book. No matter what Frank did to her, she was able to keep a small bit of what she used to be alive.

I could not believe that Sally's mother went with her to the bus terminal and let her get on the bus with Frank. I know that the world was different back then. There was no stranger danger. People like Frank existed but were never given much thought. Still, as a mother of a 12-year-old, I couldn't believe that she didn't pick up that something was wrong. That Sally didn't want to go with him. I also thought the way she treated Sally after she came home was awful. I had zero sympathy for her.

The author did a great job of covering the abuse scenes. She gave enough detail at what was happening but didn't get graphic. The rape scenes were tastefully written. Still shocking and left me in tears but tastefully written.

I was not expecting what happened at the end of the book. I truly wasn't. It threw me for a loop. In the last scene (not with Ruth but before that), I was praying that what happened was to someone else. I put my Kindle down and cried when I realized who it was. Very sad. 

What I like about Rust & Stardust:
A) Captivating story

B) The tie to Lolita (which I didn't know)

C) Sally's strength

What I disliked about Rust & Stardust:

A) Frank. 

B) Sally's mother. I had no sympathy for her

C) The end of the book.

I would give Rust & Stardust an Adult rating. There is sex but it is not graphic. There is mild violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read Rust & Stardust.

There are trigger warnings for Rust & Stardust. They are kidnapping, sexual abuse, physical abuse. If you are triggered by any of these, I suggest not to read the book.

I would reread Rust & Stardust. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Rust & Stardust.

All opinions stated in this review of Rust & Stardust are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I would not be a bit surprised to see Rust & Stardust on the bestseller list this fall. T. Greenwood has written a riveting fictional story based on a true event that happened in 1948, when Sally Horner was kidnapped and taken on a 21 month journey with a known pedophile.

This is such a sad story, but Greenwood manages to write it in such a way that readers are hopeful and invested in the characters she portrays. Sally is an innocent and obedient child, which in this case makes her vulnerable to kidnapping. She is such a brave and positive soul and throughout the story I was so impatient for her to take that one step she needed to get away from Frank La Salle.

The other characters in the story touched my heart in so many ways. Ella, her mother, in such pain, both physical and emotional, was dealing with so much guilt over Sally’s kidnapping and the unexpected death of her husband, Russell.

Russell, although deceased, became an integral part of the story through the memories each family member recounted of him. He was dealing with undiagnosed depression, but his love for the family was evident in their memories of him.

Susan, sister to Sally, was a rock for her mother during the months Sally was missing. A time for Susan that should have been filled with happiness, was instead overshadowed by the disappearance of her beloved little sister and her family’s grief.

Al, Susan’s husband and childhood sweetheart, had been a part of the family since Sally was a baby. I loved the way Al took responsibility and was ready and willing to go and search for Sally himself. It was so evident how much he cared for Sally and her family.

There were several other integral characters that were important to Sally and helped keep some balance in the story. Obviously, there are several trigger warnings for sensitive readers such as sexual abuse ( not explicit in detail), suicide, depression and some violence.

I recommend readers grab this book, a box of tissue and get ready to read straight through from start to finish. The chapters are short and told from many of the characters’ points of view and it’s certainly a book that is hard to put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

I’m not sure why but I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would. It was good, but I didn’t love it. It was a little heavy for me and I just, I don’t know, it made me uncomfortable which was probably the point but I didn’t like that.

Breaking free from my reviewing routine a little, I've decided to cover Rust & Stardust in the love/like/dislike format usually reserved for books that I struggled to enjoy. That was no issue here from a quality of craftsmanship perspective, but the subject material is emotionally challenging, even for adventurous readers such as myself. Hopefully this breakdown will help you decide if this is a novel you'd like to add to your shelves. If you have any specific questions about content, I'm also happy to answer them privately (to avoid spoilers)!

You'll LOVE it if...you wish more authors tackled dark subjects in a sensitive, respectful manner.

Greenwood's restraint in describing Sally Horner's nearly two year ordeal is commendable from start to finish. By avoiding practically all explicit details she's better able to hone in on the psychological damage inflicted by La Salle, not only on his victim, but on her family and others who encounter him on a trans-continental escape. Her grace in the telling doesn't diminish the truth of what happened, though. It's quite clear from the beginning that La Salle is an experienced predator, that Sally feared getting in trouble, and that he exploited that fear to inflict a great deal of pain. While it would be inaccurate to claim I enjoyed reading about this kind of subject, I was constantly impressed with how Greenwood balanced a responsibility towards the truth of this crime and her sympathy for Sally and her family.

You'll LIKE it if...you're curious about the true story behind one of the inspirations for Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.

Lolita may not be a direct fictionalization of Sally Horner's kidnapping...but Nabokov does mention the crime explicitly in his novel and the parallels are indisputable. Where he challenged readers by conveying the entire story from the perspective of the perpetrator, Greenwood allows everyone except La Salle to contribute their point of view. It makes for a welcome counterpoint to the pitch-black humor and wry commentary of Lolita.

You may NOT LIKE it if...the subject of sexual assault is especially upsetting or triggering.

Hopefully it is a safe assumption that everyone is upset by sexual assault. However, as mentioned above, the details of Frank La Salle's crimes stay at an absolute minimum throughout the novel. This goes a long way to not only keeping the focus on the psychological impact of the kidnapping, but also prevents the narrative from turning sensationalist or exploitative. The subject matter remains the subject matter, though, which may be too oppressive for some readers. La Salle regularly gaslights Sally in order to continue physically abusing her and there are several "near miss" opportunities for an escape that break your heart each time. While I personally found the reward of finishing worth the effort of reading, not every reader will have the same tolerance and boundaries.

Although Rust & Stardust may discourage some readers with it's difficult, true life subject material, ultimately it was a rewarding look at the resiliency of the human spirit worth the emotional ups-and-downs. T. Greenwood does an excellent job handling the most disturbing content with respect and keeps her focus squarely on Sally Horner, where it rightly belongs.

Based on true events, novelised by T. Greenwood, I was expecting suspense, something that would catch my attention from the beginning and hold me throughout the rest of the story. At least something that would kind of give these true events a logical explanation behind them, even if it was a little bit speculative?

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it past them getting to Atlantic City in the story.

I can't seem to wrap my head around the idea that a mother would let her child off with a man who she presumed was the father of one of her daughter's school friends (who she'd never even met!) I feel the ignorance of the characters just didn't meet the realistic side of the story – considering WWII had ended 3 years prior to these events, I feel there would have been more paranoia? More doubt?

Essentially, this book just was not for me but it may still be for you if you're interested in the history of true events.

•

1/5

Rust and Stardust is a heart wrenching story about an 11 yr. old girl named Sally Horner, who was kidnapped by a child molester. He tricked her into believing he was from the FBI and took her with him. They spent almost 3 years together before she was able to escape.
This story is based on the real life novel, Lolita. This was not a fun to read, happy-go-lucky book and I, emotionally, did not like the story but the author made it so compelling that it made me want to read it. The story weaves you right into the book so that you want to yell and scream at the characters.
As heart-wrenching and dark as this book is, I would highly recommend it. It is, at the same time, very well written. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heart achingly emotional, gripping and unforgettable, Rust and Starlight presents a fictional account of the true story of Sally Horner. Sally Horner's kidnapping inspired the world famous work of Lolita as it captivated not just Vladimir Nabokov but the entire nation. I have yet to read Lolita, but when I found out that Rust And Starlight portrayed the true story I was so intrigued to hear Sally's story and it is truly one I shall never forget.

On a hot day in Camden, NJ 1948, Sally, after a dare from a group of girls, attempts to steal a notebook from a store, only to be accosted by a man who claims he is with the FBI and for her discrepancy she must go with him. This singular moment will define the next 2 years of Sally's life in ways she has no idea of even imagining.

The prose of this novel delicately accompanies the chilling story.
With passages of profound meaning and quotable lines, this story flowed of the page with ease. The subject matter however was harder to swallow. The ordeal Sally went through is unimaginable. The emotional and physical abuse, the tormenting and manipulation is harrowing, but I really appreciated the author not sugar coating any of Sally's story and allowing the dark moments to be handled respectfully and not graphically.

The large cast of characters was also a rewarding aspect of this novel. To see how Sally's kidnapping affected not just her, but her mother, sister and people Sally met along the way was very interesting in showing how grief affects people in so many different ways.

In conclusion, Rust And Stardust is like it's namesake, it holds both rusted moments of dark and gritty reality that will keep you on he edge of your seat and hurt your heart. But under it all breaks through moments of love, friendship and life that shine as bright as starlight.

A retelling based on the true life crime that inspired Nabokov's iconic novel. If you enjoyed Lolita you are likely going to appreciate this, but it is a very sad tale.

Rust & Stardust is based on the real-life kidnapping of 11-year-old Sally Horner, and her kidnapper, in 1948 whose story inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write his controversial and iconic book, Lolita. Excellent book that grabs you right from the first page! Disturbing and heartbreaking yet you won't want to put it down until you find out what happens!