Title: Rust & Stardust
Author: T. Greenwood
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2018
Purchase Link: Amazon
My Rating: 5 Heart-Wrenching Hearts
*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for an arc copy of this book via Netgalley.
Synopsis:
Camden, NJ, 1948.
When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth's, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says.
This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way.
Review:
I was first drawn to Rust & Stardust by both the title and cover. Both are certainly unique and intriguing. The dark, disturbing, fictional story is based on the real life kidnapping and abuse of a young girl by an ex-con in New Jersey in 1948. The pain and suffering this girl and family endured for almost two years at the hands of a monster is completely unimaginable and utterly heart-breaking. At that time, parents and children still felt safe in their unlocked homes as children often played outside, rode bikes, and traveled about unsupervised. Sadly, their sense of security was shattered when every parents' worst nightmare became a reality for the Horner family.
Sally Horner just wanted to "fit in" with her peers when she acted on a dare to steal a notebook from a Woolworth's store. She had no way of knowing that a man who confronted her claiming to be a FBI agent was actually a sexual predator. Threatening eleven year old Sally with jail time, fifty-two year old Frank LaSalle kidnapped her, stealing her innocence while repeatedly mentally and physically abusing her as they crossed the country traveling as "father/daughter" - always one step ahead of the law and curious strangers. Sally's fear, along with LaSalle's continuous threats, kept her mum and in line. Through her point of view (and that of family and friends), readers gain a sense of the horrendous pain, suffering, doubts and despair that Sally and her family endured. And yet, there was always a tiny spark of hope.
To say Sally's story touched me would be a gross understatement - it devastated me. No child or family should ever be forced to live this nightmare. Unfortunately, evil does exist and in this case, it has a name. Needless to say, this is a tragic, deeply disturbing story of lost innocence and shattered lives, but it's one that I think needed to be told, and this author did so with as much grace, care, and sensitivity as possible. Rust & Stardust is beautifully written and delivered, and I believe it pays homage to Sally Horner and her family with their remarkable strength and perseverance. While this is a fictional rendering, it's obvious Greenwood did a great deal of research in delivering a story that closely mirrors the true story. Like many other readers, after finishing this book I researched the real life story of Sally Horner's kidnapping, reading newspaper articles and looking at pictures. It certainly drove home how all too-real and tragic this story was, but I can still say, with tears streaming down my face, this is a Must Read! Well done, T. Greenwood!
My Rating: 5 Heart-Wrenching Hearts . . . And that's the truth!
Sally Horner just wanted to "fit in" with her peers when she acted on a dare to steal a notebook from a Woolworth's store. She had no way of knowing that a man who confronted her claiming to be a FBI agent was actually a sexual predator. Threatening eleven year old Sally with jail time, fifty-two year old Frank LaSalle kidnapped her, stealing her innocence while repeatedly mentally and physically abusing her as they crossed the country traveling as "father/daughter" - always one step ahead of the law and curious strangers. Sally's fear, along with LaSalle's continuous threats, kept her mum and in line. Through her point of view (and that of family and friends), readers gain a sense of the horrendous pain, suffering, doubts and despair that Sally and her family endured. And yet, there was always a tiny spark of hope.
To say Sally's story touched me would be a gross understatement - it devastated me. No child or family should ever be forced to live this nightmare. Unfortunately, evil does exist and in this case, it has a name. Needless to say, this is a tragic, deeply disturbing story of lost innocence and shattered lives, but it's one that I think needed to be told, and this author did so with as much grace, care, and sensitivity as possible. Rust & Stardust is beautifully written and delivered, and I believe it pays homage to Sally Horner and her family with their remarkable strength and perseverance. While this is a fictional rendering, it's obvious Greenwood did a great deal of research in delivering a story that closely mirrors the true story. Like many other readers, after finishing this book I researched the real life story of Sally Horner's kidnapping, reading newspaper articles and looking at pictures. It certainly drove home how all too-real and tragic this story was, but I can still say, with tears streaming down my face, this is a Must Read! Well done, T. Greenwood!
My Rating: 5 Heart-Wrenching Hearts . . . And that's the truth!
Cross My
Heart . . . xxx
Sandra
Thanks, Jen! This, I think, is the type of book that touches lives and yes, breaks hearts. I know it'll be with me for a long, long time. As the title indicates, by the end of Sally's nightmare, all the stardust was gone and only the rust remained. It breaks my heart.
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