The Stolen Child by Ann Hood is a story about how our choices can haunt us through our entire lives. During the war, Nick was given a baby and some paintings by someone he knew. Unsure what to do, he makes the best choice he can. However, many years later he is determined to find out what happened to the woman and child. A sweet story, the narrator did a good job as well.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

In the hauntingly beautiful audiobook adaptation of Ann Hood’s novel, “The Stolen Child,” listeners are transported across decades and continents. Narrated by the talented Jefferson Mays, this historical fiction, mystery, and romance blend captivates the senses and tugs at the heartstrings.

The narrator Jefferson Mays’s voice envelops you like a warm embrace. His precise intonation and emotional depth breathe life into each character. As we journey through France and Italy, Mays paints vivid landscapes with his words, making us feel the cobblestones underfoot and taste the rich Italian cuisine. The audiobook format enhances the sensory experience, immersing us in the story.

Characters: Nick Burns, the war-weary soldier haunted by a long-ago decision, is portrayed with raw vulnerability. His gravelly voice carries the weight of regret, and we ache alongside him. Jenny, the college dropout seeking adventure, is brought to life with youthful exuberance by Mays. Their unlikely partnership crackles with chemistry, and their banter adds levity to the somber undertones.

🌍 Setting and Historical Context: Hood’s descriptions of Parisian galleries, provincial towns, and the Museum of Tears are enchanting. Mays’s narration transports us effortlessly, whether we’re sipping espresso in a sun-drenched Italian square or tracing Camille Chastain’s mysterious footsteps. The historical backdrop—the aftermath of World War I—adds depth, reminding us that scars linger long after battles end.

🔍 Unraveling Secrets: As Nick and Jenny follow the breadcrumbs left by Camille, we become detectives alongside them. The stolen paintings, the vanished artist, and the abandoned child form a tapestry of intrigue. Mays’s pacing keeps us engaged, revealing layers of emotion and hidden truths. We yearn for resolution as much as the characters do.

“The Stolen Child” explores the nature of identity, the impact of choices, and the resilience of the human spirit, and the grace of self-forgiveness.

Hood’s prose, amplified by Mays’s narration, invites introspection. We question our own paths we’ve taken, and the possibility of redemption.

🎧Ann Hood’s audiobook rendition of “The Stolen Child” is a symphony of storytelling. It whispers secrets, tugs heartstrings, and leaves us pondering the delicate threads that bind us across time. Whether you’re a seasoned audiobook enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this rendition is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

I had to take an hour to talk through this book with my husband because it was just so well written! I just couldn’t get over it. I was so drawn in from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it would end, but also didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend

I’m glad to have read/listened to Ann Hood’s The Stolen Child, but it might more aptly be titled, “the years of regret and worry.” It is essentially the story of a dying man’s anxiety over actions he took as a young, scared soldier fighting in France during WWI. Yes, there’s a child, but that child is not so much stolen as moved, from one set of arms to another in the midst of chaos and shifting alliances. I enjoyed many parts of The Stolen Child: it offered a unique snapshot of history from the “war to end all wars” and delivered an engaging narrative of a young American woman in the 1970s clawing her way out of the miasma of poverty and obscurity she’s born into. Jenny grabs at the chance to assist the now elderly and close-to-death Nick Burns as he struggles to learn the results of his actions during the long-ago war. There are three story lines explored in The Stolen Child, and it takes a while for the three to satisfactorily intertwine, particularly the branch that deals with a small, independent museum in Italy calling itself “The Museum of Tears.” There are lovely descriptions of art and of the spectacular countryside that somehow manages to return to beauty despite man’s attempts to destroy it again and again, and a gentle affirmation of the basic human kindness that shows up, like nature’s resilience, anywhere, anytime, even amongst those once thought of as enemies.

Big thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this book. Jefferson Mays did an excellent job with the narration. He gives each character their own voice with altering pacing and speaking style. I have to admit I was a bit confused at the beginning trying to keep track of the characters, timelines and places, but in the end it all came together. A story of regret, redemption, renewal and the search for the truth after many years.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ALC Review

This is a great historical fiction listen. It is the story of Nick Burns who was a soldier in WW1 and was tasked with making a difficult decision. That decision haunts him throughout his life. With the help of Jenny a college dropout looking to reframe her life the unlikely duo venture to France and Italy to solve the mystery. This is a dual timeline story and that really adds to the suspense and enjoyment of this book.

This novel has powerful aspects of love, forgiveness, friendship and compassion. I loved the unlikely intergenerational friendship of Nick and Jenny.

The narrator Jefferson Mays was a great choice for this listen. His narration added to the emotions and depths of the story.

Thank you to RB Media, the author Ann Hood and Net Galley for the advanced copy of the audio book!

I really liked this book, especially since the narrator sounded like the narrator on Rocky and Bullwinkle's Fractured Fairy Tales. The book starts off with a mismatch of characters that Ann Hood masterfully weaves into a wartime romance saga, I would pay to see the film version of this, and have some casting ideas. The characters were all incredibly human, flawed and all, which is why this book really works. I love the characters as well as the scenery during different times. I would highly recommend this book!

The Stolen Child is the intersecting story of three individuals and their sorrows, some situational and some of their own making. There is NIck, a Ww1 veteran with less than six months to live searching for the child he left by a well in France. Jenny a young woman who gave up her baby for adoption after the pregnancy derailed her big life goals And finally, Enzo, a introverted Naples artisan who also curates the Museum of Tears that captures emotional moments he witnesses.

The narrative alternates between these three. Nick, after his diagnosis, hires Jenny to help him travel back to Europe to find what happened. Chapters move back and forth in time showing the key events and then the 1970s present of Nick and Jenny on the search. They utilize archives, memories, and the bits and pieces they pick up from conversations with those who were there or with some knowledge of the artist who trusted Nick with her child.

All the characters are suffering. Enzo is lonely, stuck in a dead end job with a brother who barely tolerates him. Nick is haunted by what happened tot he child he left behind and this led to a strained relationship with his wife. Jenny’s life switched from high hopes of the world opened up by the opportunities of higher education to one of being adrift with no concrete plans and seeking for something to pass the days.

Overall the narrative is fast paced, and well narrated by Jefferson Mays, who read many of The Expanse series. Mays is very good at providing each character with their own voice altering pacing and speaking style. He also is still very clear and understandable at higher listening speeds.

The Stolen Child is a decent fast paced, feel good story of redemption and forgiveness. It touches on the horrors of war, the emotional turmoil of missed or lost opportunities and several character arcs also could be viewed as having or lacking privilege. Based on the description of one last trip to solve the mystery you can predict some of the outcomes, but Hood has realized and personalized the characters to the point where you can’t help but want to know the outcomes of their journey.

Recommended for those who enjoy romantic historical fiction, relative happy endings, or the journey being just as important as the destination.

4+ stars!
“Come away O human child, to the waters and the wild! With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.” William Butler Yeats

This gorgeously written, evocative novel knits together a number of unlikely characters. The cast is as diverse as they come: an American soldier creating art in a WW1 trench in France, a down on her luck young waitress in 1970s Rhode Island, a hopeless Italian romantic who collects vials of tears in Italy.

Typically these are the types of novels I race through with impatience, trying to find the intersections, but this was a completely different experience for me. Ms. Hood so eloquently immersed me into this plot and the character studies contained within, that I found myself slowing down to soak in every page. According to published summaries, this may seem like a world war novel - it is not! I would categorize this as a story of art, escape, love in various forms, and forgiveness. I finished it with tears in my eyes and a deep appreciation of the craft of story telling.

Thank you Net Galley, W.W. Norton & Company, RBMedia and The Book Reporter Network for the copy!

I loved everything about this audiobook. The writing is terrific, the story is so interesting. The different points of view and timelines really move the novel forward. The travels through France and Italy were fascinating. I cared about all of the characters and was very satisfied with the book's ending. I really appreciated the different take on adoption and what's the best for both mother and baby. The narrator was great. This would be a great book to read and discuss with a book group.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

During the horror of World War One, soldier Nick Burns is faced with a decision that haunts him for the rest of his life. Jenny is a waitress at IHOP, her own life mistakes making her desperate to escape her circumstances. A lonely presepio artist creates the Museum of Tears, preserving the emotions of his fellow Neapolitans for decades.

Gorgeously written and emotionally moving, THE STOLEN CHILD intricately weaves the lives of these three people in a heartbreaking and poignant story about humanity, loss, forgiveness, and what it means to find your life purpose.

This story was beautiful. It's melancholy, but has subdued depths and incredible character development. While it's not difficult to figure out the broad strokes of the mystery, there was still a twist I didn't see coming (or maybe I didn't want to see it coming) and a reminder that sometimes it's better to know the full story even if it hurts.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this complex story by Ann Hood. A WWII veteran, Nick who is dying, hires Jenny, a young girl struggling to make her way to help him find someone he had lost 60 years ago. They go to France and Italy on a quest that seems impossible. They are an unlikely duo, but come to care about and help each other.

I was drawn to this book by the description of a WW1 Veteran who had lived his life full of regret and also the beautiful cover displaying a field of poppies. Unfortunately, I found the pace of the story rather slow and I struggled to engage with the plot that at times seemed a little far-fetched. The audio narration was monotone and lacked expression.

However, I must admit the story does reach a satisfying conclusion for both Nick and Jenny and the author nicely threads everything together.

Thank you to the audio publisher, RB Media for an audio copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This time-shifting historical fiction novel about a war veteran who made a haunting decision to save his own life, and the young woman who accompanies him to Italy decades later in order to help him find closure, is moving and beautiful. I love the scenes the author paints and how the characters possess so much depth and wisdom. The audiobook narrator has a gentle voice that lends itself well to the story.

"The Stolen Child" is a beautifully written book and Jefferson Mays provided exceptional narration in the audio version. We move among characters from Nick, first shown in WWI in a trench in France; to Jenny, a 19 year old college dropout waitressing at IHop in the early 1970's; to Enzo, a Nativity set craftsman in Naples in the 1950s, who is a bit too introspective for his brash older brother.

When Nick was a young soldier in the trenches, he met Camille, the very unhappy, very pregnant wife of the farmer who owns the land he and his comrades inhabit. She is an exceptional artist and they strike up a friendship of sorts when she finds Nick painting a mural. As the Germans approach, Camille flees. She finds Nick and thrusts two packages in his arms, her baby "Laurent" and her paintings. "Save them." Nick's decision as to what to do is that of a frightened teenager, far from home. And he spends his whole life regretting the choice he made. His wife is dead. His doctor nephew has told Nick that he is dying of cancer. And Nick decides, now decades later, to look for the baby. Nick hires a helper, Jenny and they embark on a trip to Europe. Their starting place is Paris to look for Camille's paintings somewhere as they are so good they are likely to be found in galleries and very identifiable by a blue smudge in each one. Camille was about to have a showing there back in 1917, after the baby's birth.

Along the way, we meet some contemporaries of Jenny's. First is Daniel, who is studying the poet Pablo Neruda, a 1971 Nobel Laureate (so recent in the novel). Yes, I plan to read him. Secondly, we meet Russell, her ex-boyfriend. And next we travel with Charlie, a hippie type who acts as a guide for Jenny and Nick and befriends them.

Here and there, we readers learn how Enzo is doing. He has created a "Museum of Tears" in his workshop. He collects and identifies the tears of joy and sorrow of people he meets and talks to. He carefully documents each vial of tears by name of the person, year and why they were crying. Enzo falls in love with an Irish tourist who came to see his museum. He is a lovable, somewhat sad, introvert, too thoughtful for his small world.

The hunt for the (very adult) baby takes Nick and Jenny to many locations with possible sources and numerous dead ends, given the time that passed. Nick the curmudgeon who'd advertised for a helper who does not talk much finds Jenny does not fit that requirement. Their relationship is a core part of the sweetness of the novel. Each has a deep sorrow that ties into their quest. The resolution of the story is bittersweet and I thought it was well thought out. Some will be disappointed. Highly recommend.

Ann Hood's THE STOLEN CHILD is beautifully narrated by Jefferson Hays and is a moving story contemplating trauma and the effects one moment can have on an entire life.

Beginning in the trenches of France in 1917, a bundle of art and a baby is handed to an American soldier as the artist and mother flees for her life. What happens next reverberates through the young man's years as he cannot shed the guilt of his actions. As an old man in 1974, he hires an assistant to go back to Europe and find the child before his time runs out.

Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, I was moved and engaged in this journey for redemption. What was quite lovely was the inclusion and overlap of the assistant's own journey with the sour, old soldier. At first I thought this would be a slower and quiet story, and though it still feels like a softer tale, it picked up the pace quickly and I was happily swept away to the French countryside and the larger cities of Italy. I am also drawn to the older, crusty characters.

I was surprised at how the single narrator did capture each of the three perspectives so well, one being the assistant Jenny. I was easily able to enter each characters shoes and feel the story unfold.

Thank you to @recordedbooks for & @netgalley this lovely historical fiction that published on May 7th.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media for this audiobook for review. This was an engaging audiobook about a baby given to a soldier during WW1 and the resulting fate of that baby. The young soldier, Nick meets and becomes friends with a French artist during his time fighting. Nick then is unexpectedly handed her baby and some of her paintings. She begs him to keep the baby safe and then disappears. Nick is terrified and tries to rationalize what to do with the baby while the fighting is going on all around him. He hides for a while, but ultimately, leaves the baby with the paintings in a trench and hopes for the best. Then, in 1974, Nick has a terminal illness and is evaluating his live choices. It has always haunted him that he left that baby back in the war and wondered what happened. He meets Jenny, who works as a waitress at the IHOP and has always dreamed of traveling. Nick, along with Jenny, travel to Europe in search what happened to the missing child. This is an emotional story as their journey moves back and forth from past to present as we see from both Nick and Enzo's perspective and their different stories until we finally learn what really happened that day with the baby Nick left in the trench.

This is the best book that I've read in a long time. It has so many things that I like in book...historical fiction, rich character development, mystery, travel descriptions and it tackled many emotions. These characters explored feelings of regret, grief, guilt, delaying living the life you dream of, love, betrayal, friendship, etc. Since I love travel too, I enjoyed hearing about places in Italy and France and thinking how it would feel to travel in the 1970s. I know that this story and characters will stay with me for awhile.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was a perfect fit. His French and Italian accents really added to my enjoyment of this book and set the mood.

Deepest thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own and were provided willingly.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An intriguing and poignant story that is at times, complex. It’s of a man on a quest to find someone, and the girl who helps him. Here’s to self discovery, gratitude, and new beginnings. This, is their journey across France and Italy to fulfill Nick’s dying wish.

Nick, is a war veteran who has cancer and 6 months to live. He must return to France before he dies but, he can’t go alone due to his weak condition. He needs someone to go with him. So, he writes up a job listing. Jenny is a dreamer and a doer. Stuck in a dead end job at the local iHop, she yearns for a better life. Curious, she inquires.

During the war, a woman in desperation, handed him a child swaddled in a blanket and then she ran off. Nick was only 19. Not knowing what to do, he left the bundle in the town square, near the well. Nick knew whoever found the baby would give him a good life. But, he’s always wondered what ever became of that baby. This has haunted Nick for years.

The narrator, Jefferson Mays, does a great job conveying the characters’ stories. His intonations pair well with the story line, keeping the flow on point. I found it really enabled me to have a connection with the characters. Additionally, he does a great job with French and Italian accents!
Story well told.

👏🏼Special thanks to RB Media for this advanced reader copy and @netgalley, to @annhood56 for writing a wonderful novel.

Nick, an American soldier in the trenches during WWI, befriends a local woman who shares his love of art. With the Germans approaching, Camille gives Nick her baby and a bundle of her artwork and flees. Fast forward the 1974, Nick is dying and racked with grief over the unknown fate of this woman and baby. Along with the help of Jenny, a college drop-out who yearns for more from life, the unlikely duo set out for France and later Italy to try to find the child. I enjoyed the evolving friendship between Nick and Jenny along the way as well as what each of them learned about themselves.
With a lot of French and Italian used, the audiobook enabled to move through that easily instead of stumbling over the unfamiliar written words.
Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC.