The Stolen Child

A Novel

By: Ann Hood

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate in this moving, page-turning novel from “a gifted storyteller” (PEOPLE).

For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands—and disappeared. In 1974, with only months left to live, Nick enlists Jenny, a college dropout desperate for adventure, to help him unravel the mystery. The journey leads them through Parisian galleries and provincial towns to a surprising place: the Museum of Tears, the life’s work of a lonely Italian craftsman. Determined to find the baby and the artist, hopeless romantic Jenny and curmudgeonly Nick must reckon with regret, betrayal, and the lives they’ve left behind.

With characteristic warmth and verve, Ann Hood captures a world of possibility and romance through the eyes of a young woman learning to claim her place in it. The Stolen Child is an engaging, timeless novel of secrets, love lost and found, and the nature of forgiveness.

“This is a lovely story about two artists meeting in the midst of World War I, a missing baby, and an intelligent, lost young woman helping an old man fix the mistakes of his past. I loved Nick and Jenny from the moment I met them, and had all my fingers crossed that they would find not only what they were looking for, but themselves.”—Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful

©2024 Ann Hood (P)2024 Recorded Books

Good characters

I needed to listen twice to keep the
timeframe and characters in order. Although I did enjoy.

Surprisingly Good

I'm not even sure why I liked this book so much but I did. I guess because it wasn't too predictable and the end was satisfying. It was an overall enjoyable read.

WW I

This was a new twist on war era stories. Enjoyed the characters with their human responses.

Beautiful story, well narrarated

This book made me experience all the emotions, and the narraration was so well done.

What if you made a different decision at some point in your life

This book explores past decisions of several characters spanning decades and 3 countries. In addition to really liking the story, I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of food and wine and of the places the characters visited

Sad ,authentic and yet so very beautiful

I listened to this book from beginning to end without barely putting it down.
The story was so real, the characters so honest, with their weaknesses and bad decisions, which we all make in our lives, and so often regret. How many times we procrastinate throughout our lives and end up missing the boat? As did Nick and Jenny and Enzo and Geraldine.
I was also very moved and laughed as Nick described his getting old, as this week I myself turn 80!!!!! Amazing!!
It is heart warming the way the book ends. Truth and Love do overcome!!

Multiple Characters' Stories Intersect

I almost gave up on this one but was glad I stayed with it. It deals with an aging American WWII soldier who is trying to track down the baby a woman handed to him when he was fighting in Italy. He enlists the help of a young American woman. There were parts that just seemed disjointed, especially when it suddenly goes on about two brothers in Naples. I like good, linear storytelling. I dislike stories that time-jump or switch to entirely different characters that have nothing to do with what Ive been reading. Its a modern writing style that makes me want to throw a book across the room (or simply abandon and delete an audiobook). So this one frustrated me but, as it turned out, it was Naples that saved the day. The author describes the city as dirty and crowded and maddening for drivers, But Napoli is also beautiful and she describes strolling along Via Posillipo, Capri and its Blue Grotto, and especially the Presepi - Neopolitan nativity creches. It also touches on the traditional Margharita pizzas and the feast of San Gennaro. I spent part of my childhood living in Napoli so this was personal. The narrator was good; I found his Italian accent accurate. Have to say I found the Museum of Tears just plain weird, but I get that it was a collection of everyone's sadness and regrets. So Napoli was a gift and I liked that all the loose ends finally came together. Now that I understand the structure, it bears a second reading. But I shouldnt have to understand the structure to appreciate a book.

A relief to leave the country

This is fun and refreshingly gentle book.
The female characters are savvy, intelligent and lively. The narration also stays lively and engaging —so the narrator too is refreshing. (I have imagined many narrators on Audible are not trained actors and are simply reading rather than working to embody the characters.). A man narrates (performs) this book with a female protagonist and maintains his enthusiasm throughout.

Excellent!

Thoroughly enjoyed this story….the narrator was outstanding too! Spans a timeline but not difficult to follow.

Excellent story and reader

I enjoyed the two timelines, the described scenery and thoughts, and the easy to listen voice of the reader.