This historical novel begins in 1917 with WWI in the trenches where a young American soldier, Nick, is painting a mural on the walls. A French woman hands his a bundle - a baby boy swaddled in a blanket, and 2 small paintings of the countryside with a blue figure- with a note "His name is Laurent." As the soldier hold the child, he realizes that he can't carry him through the war, so he leaves him near a well in the center of the village and evades the encroaching Germans.
Forward to 1974 when we meet Jenny, an intelligent young woman who dropped out of college, and is now working at IHOP as a waitress. She has a dream of going to Capri and meeting a boyfriend there while he work on his thesis on the poet Pablo Neruda. When she learns of a job as a companion to an elderly man (Nick) who wants to go to France and Italy, she interviews for the job and the two set off on an adventure to find the child (now around 60 yrs old) and the artist who left him with Nick along with the paintings.
This book kept my interest throughout and provided a quick trip to both France and Italy. The characters were memorable, well drawn, realistic, ordinary people with hopes and dreams. Yes, they had regrets, but they also were determined to pursue their mission to the end.
I thought the ending was poignant- a little sad, an a little hopeful - and it wrapped up the novel beautifully.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed her are entirely my own. I will be recommending this book to my book groups because there is a lot to discuss in it.

This historical novel starts in 1917, with young American soldier Nick in France during WWI, when with the Germans approaching, a local French woman hands him two precious pundit’s and Asha him to save them - one, with her paintings, and one with her baby. Panicking in his own attempt to escape, Nick leaves the baby in a nearby village. Cut to 1974, when Nick discovers he is dying, and haunted by his lifelong guilt, decides to try to track down the fate of both the baby and the woman. Also in 1974, we see the perspective of Jenny, a young woman whose life has derailed from her plans, and answers Nick’s ad for someone to help him and travel with him. (We also see Nick and Jenny through prior periods of their life.) Finally, we also see the perspective of a man named Enzo in Italy from the 1930s through the 1970s, including as he creates his Museum of Tears.

This book really has its own unique vibe - it’s quiet and melancholy, yet really kept me reading to see what would happen and how it would affect the characters. It also is a lovely travelogue to France and Italy. And I also loved the descriptions of art woven throughout.

I was pulled to this book, as I am everything Ann Hood writes, because I met her a long time ago at a writers' conference in Brooklyn. Just about everything I have read of hers is literary fiction. This represents something of a departure; it is historical fiction. I would say though it still has a very literary fiction feel to it. The protagonist, Nick, a soldier in WWI, he is handed a baby by a young woman to keep safe. Nick leaves the infant in a trench, hoping that it will be safe. In 1973, as an elderly man, he travels to Europe to look for the baby (now older adult, of course). He takes a companion with him, Jennifer, a young woman who works as a waitress at an IHOP but dreams of bigger things, including going abroad. Nick has his guilt, from having left the baby in the trench and Jennifer has her own baggage. Hood tells us of how Nick and Jennifer try and locate this baby with very little information to go on. Hood does a good job of characterization, as we learn about Jennifer and Nick through what is shown, versus told, as well as conveying how their bond develops. There is also a wonderful sense of place, which I love especially in books that take place in Europe, including among other ways, by giving the reader little bits and pieces of French and Italian along the way.
I would give this novel 4.5 stars. There were a few points where the narrative was a little confusing or where I found my attention wandering just a little. However, it is obvious that Hood can write historical fiction as well as literary fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Co. for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and WW Norton for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, Ann Hood. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Three storylines that come together beautifully, as we follow Nick, an elderly grumpy WWI veteran, as he tries to bring closure to an issue that has haunted him for decades before he dies. Jenny, a young college dropout working at IHOP, answers his ad in the paper for an assistant. They soon travel to France, meeting interesting characters along the way, to solve the mystery of what happened to a baby entrusted into Nick's hands during the war.

Such a beautifully-written story - the characters are flawed, realistic, yearning to be better. I adored the Museum of Tears, an Italian craftsman's life work, and Enzo's story brought me to tears. The depictions of France and Italy, as well as the food descriptions, made this such a transportive read. The story mostly takes place in the 1970s, which added an element of romance and mystery to the struggles of communication before cellphones. Themes throughout of regret, fate, forgiveness make this book a very highly recommended read!

I enjoyed this book a lot -- in the beginning, I was a bit confused as to how all the different timelines and storylines would come together but they did! Although the ending was sad, it was poetic in its own way. So much tragedy but also so much beauty in this book. Give this one a read!

The Stolen Child comes out next week on May 7, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

"Enzo Piccolo, master craftsman of presepe, hurried along the streets of Naples with a box of glass tubes. It was April, and in April Enzo and his brother, Massimo, were working day and night to complete the figures for the Nativities. They wrapped the wire bodies in twine. They carved arms and legs from wood. They molded heads from terra-cotta. They sewed and pressed silk from San Leucio for the clothes. And they painted the expressions on the faces, the delicate features, the glass eyes, for yes, of course, the Blessed Virgin and Joseph and the three Wise Men. But also for the pizza maker, the sausage maker, the pasta maker; the fruit and vegetable vendors; the fishmongers, butchers, carpenters, acquafrescaio; opera singers and politicians; even Pope Pius-God bless him—and Totò, il principe della risata, the prince of laughter.

The presepe was not just Bethlehem, it was Naples.

Much love for this book! I will be sharing this title at our Hot Summer Reads program. The characters were very well developed and pulled me through their journey. But the end?!? Heartbreaking.

I was hooked from the first few pages. Loved the story and the descriptive writing was beautiful. I felt like i traveled with them! Highly recommend this gem of a book!

Ann Hood fully captures a man, Nick, who has been burdened by one major regret for his entire life. The stolen child is a baby that Nick was tasked with saving during a battle in WWI. He doesn’t. When he is close to death’s door, Nick decides to try to discover what happened to that baby. Jenny is a young woman with her own share of regrets. When she has the chance to accompany Nick on his pilgrimage, the mismatched pair follow the clues and misdirections on a quest for answers and, hopefully, peace. Hood’s characters are memorable. The sense of place is wonderful. Side note: As someone who attended school in Providence close to the time period, her descriptions were a trip down memory lane. I will happily suggest this book to my book club.

Thanks to,NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you can suspend some reality and look over some obvious holes in the plot, you will enjoy this story of an American soldier in the trenches in France during WWI. He is drawing a mural when a very pregnant neighboring farmer's wife comes to bring him some bread. She notices his art and they begin to connect over art and she shares some of her art. After Camille has given birth and the Germans are advancing, she runs up to Nick, the soldier, and gives him her baby and her art pieces and leaves. What is a young soldier with an advancing enemy supposed to do? Why did this mother give away her baby and her art?

Years later, Nick decides he can't live any longer not knowing what happened to the baby, so he employs a young college dropout, Jenny, to accompany him to France and Italy. He is very poor health with not much longer to live, but Jenny is very organized and very determined.

The relationship between Nick and Jenny grows as they get to know each other., which is a very charming part of this story.

The story was a bit predictable. There are some unbelievable parts of the story and a slow telling that builds to the end which felt a bit rushed. I wanted to savor more of this ending. I also wanted more background on some of these characters. But overall, it is a sweet story with a bit of a mystery that kept me turning the pages.

My thanks to Net Galley and WWNorton & Co for an advanced copy of this e-book.

3.5
I thought this book started off strong with an emotional and somewhat jaw dropping beginning. The rest of the book continues with the storyline to discover what was the result of the the choice made at the beginning.

I never felt all that much compassion or concern for any of the characters. There were some choices made, repeatedly that also didn't make sense to me. There were also some major plot points that didn't ring true in my mind. While this book was an entertaining read and easy to read, by the end I was a little disappointed on how it wrapped up and how the storylines tied together.

There are a few POV's and lots of changes in time so I think that reading this book vs listening as an audiobook is best.

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the gifted e-copy of this book.

Delightful, engrossing, romantic in the best sort of way, and rich in visual and historical detail. A triumph. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel in advance of the publication date. Book discussion groups take note.

Great writing with an unusual storyline that draws you right at the beginning. Dual timelines with characters seeking forgiveness and love move the story forward. Nick, a dying man employs Jenny, a young woman to travel with him to France to help him come to terms with an incident in his life during WWI which has haunted him his entire life. A good historical read with vivid descriptions.. #TheStolenChild #AnnHood #NetGalley

The Stolen Child by Ann Hood
This story captured my attention quickly and I was unable to put it down. It starts with Nick Burns as a young soldier during WWI. While in a trench he meets a young French artist who gives him both her baby and some paintings and begs him to keep them safe. Unsure what to do, he leaves the baby near a well in a village center.
Skip to 1974. Nick is very sick and he wants to find out what happened to the baby and the artist. He hires a college dropout, Jenny, to go with him to France to, if possible, find the child, now a man. They travel through France and Italy in search of the artist and child.
I loved how Jenny evolved into her own person during this time and how she was able to come to terms with her own earlier decisions. Nick came to realize how his life, and especially his marriage, was affected by what he had done. Although it’s pretty obvious who the lost child is, I couldn’t wait to read about how they finally found him and the outcome.
Thank you to Netflix for my ARC.

A quick historical fiction read. The main characters Nick and Jenny were an unlikely pair that work beautifully together. I have read many of Ms. Hood’s books and this one would be my favorite. The story has all of the feels, good scenery, raw emotions and a good story.

Thank you #NetGalley, #W.W.Norton&Company, #AnnHood and #TheStolenChild for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

I found this to be a compelling story, especially after Jenny and Nick meet. I typically love dual timeline historical fiction, and this book varies that formula, with multiple characters whose lives overlap in various ways, although not all of them actually meet. Their stories focus on decisions—both made and regretted—love, longing, and chance. For me it was a quick read, as once I started I wanted to know what happened to the “stolen child” and that kept me going. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Hood's 'The Stolen Child' is truly something special, drawing you in with its deeply crafted characters and compelling plot. Nick Burns' journey, haunted by decisions made in the trenches of WWI, is both gripping and poignant. Teaming up with Jenny, a 20-something who works double shifts at the IHOP, they embark on a quest spanning France and Italy, unraveling mysteries of the past.

Hood's storytelling is rich and evocative, seamlessly weaving together historical detail and heartfelt emotion. The characters she creates are flawed yet utterly captivating, leaving a lasting impression. It was also fun and something a little different to read a book mostly set in the 1970s. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Ann Hood develops such in-depth characters that draw me in right away. I always look forward to her books. Nick Burns struggles with a decision he made years ago in World War 1. With only a few months to live, Nick enlists the help of Jenny to return to the the area he was during the war and unravel a mystery of what happened to a baby left in his care. I was intrigued from the start but found the middle a little slow. Hate to say I did a little skimming. But all in all I truly enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Stolen Child weaves together a story of the WWI trenches in rural France, a soldier's friendship with a woman artist and her baby. She hands the baby and her paintings to the soldier and asks him to save them as she runs away from the invading German army. A lifetime later, that soldier, Nick, who has been haunted by his actions, hires an assistant, Jenny, who has her own secrets and wish to start over in life and they go to France and Italy in search of the woman artist and the baby boy left behind. The novel is compelling and Ann Hood has written rich and flawed characters that will stay with you. I read it in a day.

To many regrets for a dying man. O human child, to the waters and the wild something, something. For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

For sixty years Nick had wondered about a fork on the road that took place in World War I. In the trenches, Nick to keep his mind sane, drew pictures on the walls of the trenches. It is this act that compelled a young woman to give him her baby. She also was an upcoming artist herself. Maybe that is why she was drawn to him and asked him to take her baby to safety. However, what he did was take the baby and leave it at a village well. Nick was haunted by this decision. It affected his marriage after the war and left him with many regrets. He knows his life his short so he hires a young woman Jenny to go with him to Europe to find out what happened to the mother and the baby.

One of my favorites in a read is the ironies. This is a compelling story of regret, redemption, and renewal. The ironies bring the plot and the characters together. It is not neatly tied in a bow which makes it unforgettable. I finished it last week and I am still thinking about it. Bravo bravo.
Nicely done.

A special thank you to WW Norton and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This is a well-crafted novel that I think will be successful with a certain type of reader. Nick is haunted by regrets, and Jenny can't stop thinking about a past mistake. The characters can be annoyingly passive in terms of not speaking out loud what they are thinking and feeling. Yes, Nick was damaged by the war and that impacted his ability to function. While understandable, it can still be frustrating for the reader at times. There are various storylines and I appreciated how the author moved through time. Ultimately the passivity and introspection may not work for fans of "genre" historical fiction because the pacing is too slow. However, I recommend this one to fans of literary fiction with a more introspective tone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy; all opinions in this review are 100% my own.