The Stolen Child by Ann Hood is a heartfelt journey through France and Italy, as dying WWI veteran Nick Burns enlists Jenny, a young college dropout, to help him unravel a decades-old mystery involving an artist, her baby, and a decision that has haunted him for years. As they follow clues across Europe, the novel weaves together themes of love, regret, and redemption. Though the narrative juggles multiple timelines, Hood’s vivid storytelling brings the settings and characters to life. The pacing was uneven at times, but the novel’s emotional depth and exploration of forgiveness make it a compelling, bittersweet read. A beautiful reflection on how the smallest decisions can alter lives forever.

Unfortunately, I was not able to become engaged with this story. The narrator was not easy for me to connect with and I felt that I wasn't able to focus on the story so that I could be drawn in. I'm sure it was likely me and that this story will appeal to other readers, but for me at this time, it was not a hit.

I had to DNF beyond a point as the narration got too boring and dragged endlessly. I found the story of the missing baby intriguing, but Jenny's story dragged on and on and I lost interest.

3.5*
I liked this from the beginning, I liked the characters and their stories and emotions throughout everything but the way things were unraveling was slow and there wasn't much of a twist cause it was pretty predictable for me. I enjoyed the audiobook, it was clear and I could tell the characters apart, the narrator did a really good job.

I received the advanced audiobook recording of the publication via NetGalley.

I couldn't get into this book so I stopped listening to it but that doesn't mean someone else wont like it, I always say give it a try even though someone else didn't like it. Maybe I will go back to it someday

2.5 stars
I spent much of the book not sure where it was going. We’ve got multiple timelines and POVs. The bulk of the story follows Jenny in 1974, saving up to pay for a trip to Italy. There’s also the mystery of an abandoned baby in Italy during WWI. Everything comes together over the course of the story but it was uneven and not that compelling for me. The narrator didn’t work for me so that affected the experience as well.
*Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the audiobook copy

This captivating novel tells the story of an American soldier burdened by guilt from his actions in WWII. After years of remorse, he embarks on a journey to Europe in search of the family he wronged, hoping to seek forgiveness and ensure their survival. However, when he finally arrives, he uncovers truths that shatter his long-held beliefs.

The narrative weaves together multiple timelines and characters, delving into themes of loss, corruption, love, and the quest for redemption. While the story may not offer a conventionally happy ending, it emphasizes the power of truth in granting peace.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this poignant novel in exchange for an honest review.

A grouch grumbling, a waitress waiting, a lost child - that's how you begin, dear Reader.

By the end it is all turned upside down and inside out, a read that kept me tight to the page, even though I had pretty much figured out how it would go . . . .yet it was a story swell-built, keeping me on the ride all the way to the very end. I needed to know and watched how the three stories braided together intersected, wound and overlaid each other. . .and they did.

Kudos to Ann Hood for the poetry, for the literature, for the food, for the weather, for the travel, and for the reconciliation. She shows us that as the road courses onward our paths all part with new destinations. . .bon voyage dear Nick, Jenny and the lost little one. . .so often it is proved that the slightest degree of change in direction can be of more significance than having taken an entirely different road or stayed for thousands of days on the selfsame track.

*A sincere thank you to Ann Hood, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheStolenChild #NetGalley

The Stolen Child was a really interesting read. The narrator had good pacing. I loved Ann Hood’s writing and the characters felt relatable

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of 'The Stolen Child'. The premise of the book had me hooked but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While historical fiction is a genre I usually enjoy, this particular novel wasn't my cup of tea. I found the plot to be slow-paced and lacking in engaging twists or developments. I wanted the answers much sooner than the author delivered.

This is an original take on WW2 historical fiction. Told in dual timelines by the same narrator at different points in his life, this is a book about trying to fix past mistakes that haunt you, a mystery, a buddy travel story with a dash of romance.

An enthralling mystery story that takes an odd pairing across Europe in search of a long held secret. I loved this historical mystery/adventure story featuring an unexpected friendship, lost love, family secrets and art. Moving and great on audio this was a new to me author and I can't wait to read more! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This amazingly drawn historical, touched my heart. It starts in France, during the First World War, and ends many years later in Italy. There are two different storylines, and at first I couldn’t see how they intersected, but eventually it becomes clear.

Nick is a man whom is haunted by something he did during the war. Now that he is ever closer to death, he has a need to find out the final result of what he did. He hires a young woman, Jenny to help him in his quest. As they travel from France to Italy, we find out more of the story.

Ghosts of the past, but a new future for one. Terrific characters, and a wonderful, heartfelt story. A happy, sad ending that had me in tears.

The audio narration was excellent.

Thank you Net Galley for sharing this audiobook.
I must compliment the choice of narrator. There was a perfect accent that had me traveling to Europe with beautifully articulated English.
The characters in this story were wonderfully developed and the story was entertaining and beautiful. It is a perfect story of how lives can overlap.

When one man’s journey to right a wrong from his past intertwines with a young woman’s journey to find love, peace and adventure, you get an amazing tale.

I read so much great praise for this book and I really wanted to enjoy it more than I did. I suppose it could be partly because I listened to it on audio and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I read a physical copy instead. It started off a bit confusing for me and it took me a while to get into it and to understand how everything was connected.

The Stolen Child is The Stolen Child tells the story of Nick, an American WWII soldier in France. When a young woman he had connected with leaves him with her baby and paintings as she is fleeing, he doesn't know what to do and he leaves the baby. Now, many years later, Nick is aging and dying from cancer and realizes he needs to know what happened to the baby he left. He hires a young college dropout named Jenny and they head to Europe on their quest. We also get snippets from an Italian man named Enzo and his founding of "The Museum of Tears" starting in the 1930s. These parts were the most confusing for me, though Hood does an excellent job of tying everything together in the end.

I can recognize that The Stolen Child is a really well-written novel that will be engaging for many, but that it just isn't the book for me. I do wish I could re-read it for my first time with a physical copy!

I listened to some and I read some of this one. The beginning was very choppy, the chapters alternated between characters and time lines. At first, it was confusing to keep Enzo in 1935, Nick in 1917, and Jenny in 1973 straight. Enzo is in Italy, Nick is in France and Jenny is in Rhode Island. As I continued reading, and can picture how Nick and Jenny are going to meet up and got absorbed into Enzo's world, I found the author's writing to be engaging and very interesting. Give it time to get into these characters, their stories, and eventually, how their stories are all intertwined. Ann Hood just makes it work and the narrators are really good.

The Stolen Child is a lovely work of historical fiction, narrated by a reader who portrayed the different perspectives marvelously. This is the story of Nick Burns who was a soldier in WW1 and was faced with making sone very difficult choices. The choice he made many many years ago has haunted him his whole life. With the help of Jenny a college dropout looking to reframe her life, the two venture to France and Italy to solve the mystery and bring closure for Nick.

This is a novel of love, forgiveness, friendship and compassion.

Nick Burns made a choice, one that has haunted him since his days in the trenches during WWI. A local French painter left her newborn child and her beautiful miniature paintings in his care—he took the paintings and abandoned the child. Now in his twilight years with a terminal diagnosis, he is determined to right a wrong with the help of a young college dropout with wanderlust for travel.

Jenny is ready to turn her life around after her initial college plans are derailed. When she is given the chance to help Nick find his lost baby, she is ready to leave her menial life behind for adventure. Her romantic heart is delighted to find that they are headed to France and is even more enthralled when they end up in Italy. She grows to care for the curmudgeonly Nick, who won’t admit his faults and certainly won’t admit he needs assistance, and she is desperate to help solve his mystery.

Enzo is a craftsman along with his brother Massimo in Naples, Italy. Though he helps with his brother’s elaborate painted nativity pieces, his true passion is his Museum of Tears. He collects moments and documents them with a vial of tears and a card describing the exact moment—of joy, of pain, of happiness, etc. His creative and romantic heart never quite fits in with his brother’s world view, but he tries.

Nick and Jenny’s storylines had me hooked from the start. I struggled with Enzo’s as it felt out of place most of the time. Though eventually all three stories fully connect, Enzo’s was the hardest for me to relate to; it felt of another era. The Stolen Child is a touching character-driven tale of redemption, and though much of the story centers around WWI, it’s not a war story, but one centering around choices and their impacts.

Thank you to NetGalley, Recorded Books Media, and author Ann Hood for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Stolen Child is out now. All opinions are my own.

I got the audiobook version of this book from NetGalley. This book tells the story of: Nick, an American soldier who was stationed in France and given a child and asked to save the child; Jenny- a"most likely to succeed"student who has to drop out of college after getting pregnant and Enzo, a quirky Italian man who runs a museum showcasing the years of others. This book switches perspective between characters, places and different time periods. Although I did find a few spots to be a little predictable,I Loved the story and a lot of the lessons within this book. The narrator was also great, though I didn't love the Boston accent for a character. I would recommend this book.