Good book, very quick read. The writing was different... I cant put my finger on it. 

This story is difficult and it could cause some triggers to people due to the content. 

The struggle victims go thru is scary. 
.

This is the story of a young girl Sally Horner. A terrifying story.  I always make sure to never add spoilers. With that being said, I'll make this review as vague as possible.  I'm thankful that I was able to get a copy of this book to review.  What happened in this story could very easily happen to anyone's kid.  Sally is only 11 when she makes a terrible mistake trying to fit in with a group of girls,  this mistake leads to horrifying actions. That forever change the life of Sally and those around her. Ps Moms keep your children close.

Book Description
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.

My Thoughts
Rust & Stardust is based on the true story of the kidnapping of a young girl named Sally Horner. It is 1948 and Sally is 11 years old. Her older sister is now married and has left the home Sally shares with her mother, Ella. With her first husband long gone and her second husband's suicide, Ella is in a dark place mentally and her body is failing her as she is wracked with pain from physical ailments. Ella doesn't have much and Sally is definitely not one of the cool or popular girls at school. The chance to be friends with several of these popular girls leads Sally to take a shoplifting dare that puts her in the path of Frank LaSalle.He is a con man recently released from prison, who convinces Sally that he is with the FBI and if she doesn't do as he asks, he will have no choice but to have her arrested for the shoplifting he witnessed. 
This is a gut-wrenching tale set in a simpler time when parents weren't as aware of stranger danger and is all the more heartbreaking since it is based on an actual crime. I was raised with Amber Alerts and cellphones and parents who knew where I was and who I was with 24/7. Not only was I taught from an early age to be wary of strangers, but also friends and family since abuse often comes from those we know. As I was reading, I had to shed my own childhood awareness and as I did, I could see how an innocent girl trying to save her mother pain as well as saving herself from jail could be so thoroughly deceived by a man she viewed as an authority figure. The author did a wonderful job telling this sad tale and while Rust & Stardust wasn't a book I finished with a light heart, it was thought-provoking. I had a hard time putting it down as I just wanted to know if Sally could escape from her abuser and get back home.
Thank you T.Greenwood, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the DRC.

Stunning, eerie, and definitely a roller coaster of a book. This book had me cringing and I had to put it down several times due to the content, but it was well worth the read!

”The teacher wonders but she
Doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain
Behind the mask
Bearing the burden
Of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was
Never born

“Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In her world that she can rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where
She's loved
Concrete angel”
-- Concrete Angel, Martina McBride, Songwriters: Rob Crosby / Stephanie Kay Bentley


And the rest is rust and stardust.
--LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov

It’s June of 1948 in Camden, New Jersey as this story begins – a story that is a fictionalized account of the real kidnapping of then eleven year old Sally Horner, which inspired Nabokov to write / finish writing Lolita. School hasn’t yet paused for summer vacation, but soon, and Sally is trying to win acceptance with the girls from the nicer, prettier side of town. With this in mind, she nervously accepts a dare to steal something from Woolworth’s, only one man, Frank LaSalle, spots her slipping the composition notebook inside her sweater and he makes his way to her, informing her that he is an FBI agent, and she is to come along with him. He might find a way to help her out of this, but she must do as he says.

Sally’s mother is physically in poor health, plagued by aches and pains, and emotionally she hasn’t recovered from her second husband’s death, deemed a suicide. Her first husband, father to Sally and her sister, left when Sally was very young.

LaSalle, a known sex-offender with a preference for young girls, recently released from prison, meets up with Sally after school the next day, and with summer vacation now upon them, tells her that she is to ask her mother for permission to go to the shore, with her friend, otherwise, he’ll have to them her that he’s been ordered to deliver Sally to FBI headquarters. And so she ends up at Wildwood by the Sea, but it’s only the beginning of a much longer journey in time and travel for the two of them. Years will pass, and the girl that began this journey as a young, naïve girl will be changed forever.

This story is shared initially through Sally and her mother, Ella, but as the story progresses, more narrators enter into sharing a new side, a new view of the status of the case, how it is affecting her neighbor Ruth, who feels a need to protect her, Sister Mary Katherine who believes that there is something disturbingly wrong but has been told to stay out of it, her mother’s thoughts, her sister’s, her brother-in-law Al, who is her champion, never allowing them to forget or give up hope, always looking for new ways to keep her story in the public’s view.

I had wanted to read this because I had read T. Greenwood’s The Golden Hour and enjoyed that. Her ability to create a visual scene had impressed me, and I wasn’t disappointed in her ability to breathe life into Rust & Stardust. I did feel that it occasionally became a bit bogged down in mundane things, events that seemed to serve no purpose, and too many points-of-view, which should leave the reader feeling they have seen everything there is to see, but left me feeling too many of these were, essentially, irrelevant.

From Camden, New Jersey to Dallas, Texas, to San Jose, California, a long, harrowing journey that will forever change this young girl, whose story became every parent’s nightmare.




Pub Date: 07 AUG 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

There are not enough trigger warnings in all the world. I don't typically enjoy historical fiction and tales of child rape aren't my thing either, so I regret going against my gut and requesting this novel. It is compelling and well written, but such a horrible, creepy story, which I can't imagine anyone being entertained by.

Thought this was an amazing book So good. Enjoyed writing and characters and development so very much

Totally gripping book. I had no idea that this was based off a true story.  As a true crime reader, I thought I had seen it all but this was a first to me. Ripped my heart out just a little bit for Sally despite the time that has elapsed. Fantastic book!

This book, although fiction, is based on the true-crime story of 11 year old Sally Horner and her kidnapper, Frank La Salle. Her kidnapping occurred in 1948 and the story inspired the controversial book Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. 

Going into this book, I didn't know a lot about the case of Sally Horner; I read one short article that briefly explained how she was kidnapped and the events that occurred over the next two years. 

After a dare from a group of girls, Sally steals a notebook from a Woolsworth and then is stopped by a man on her way out. The man claims to be an FBI agent and tells her she is under arrest. She obviously doesn't know that this isn't an FBI agent, but is a convicted rapist who has just been released from prison. He tells her she will go to jail if she doesn't cooperate so she does as he tells her. After convincing Sally's mother that he is the father of a school friend who has asked Sally to join them on vacation, he kidnaps her. During the next two years, La Salle takes Sally across multiple state lines, from place to place and often refers to Sally as his daughter.

This book contains a lot of tough subjects, mainly child abuse in multiple forms and they can be even harder to read knowing that this is based on a true story. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including Sally's and member's of her family. The author fills in those two years with what might have happened, based on the research she did before writing the book. This book of course made me shake my head at things like Sally's mother allowing her to randomly go off with someone she didn't know. But then I had to stop and remember that this is 1948; child abductions didn't happen like they do today, people trusted their neighbors and they didn't lock their doors. Looking at how he managed to keep her for two years, I also had to remember that there was no internet or Amber Alerts at the time. But it was still hard to read. And the way the story ends, both in real life and in the book is fairly sad. It certainly made me think about how children definitely need to be educated about how to tell a real police officer from someone who is not. It also makes me want to read more about the real life case of Sally Horner.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for sending me an ARC of this book.

This is the story of Sally Horner's abduction by a pedophile, which was the inspiration for Nabokov's Lolita. The true story is salacious and horrible, unfortunately this dramatization is as well. Sally Horner is a sad, lonely little girl who is taken advantage of by a grown man who recognizes her isolation and grooms her for abduction. He tells Sally's mother he is the father of Sally's friend from school, and they want to take Sally with them for a vacation. Despite never meeting this supposed friend and never laying eyes on this man before, Sally's mother lets him take her. She only begins to worry after they extend their "vacation" several times. 

I know this is a true story, but I just cannot even get past any of this nonsense. This is not a true crime book, it's a novel. It was a opportunity to create a scenario in which this abduction made a modicum of sense. Instead it was just a lurid blow by blow of the horrific abuse inflicted on a child by a sickly devious man.

Reading the description of this book, I was so hesitant about whether I did want to read it or not. on one hand it sounded so interesting, but on the other, I knew it would probably tear me up because of the fact that it was based on true events. Going into this book, right away I knew I really liked the writing. It was so easy for me to fall into the story, and then after a moment I realized just what that meant and I knew I was in for a world of pain. This was a dark book and heartbreaking. We go through this journey with Sally and I felt everything she felt and it was breaking me apart inside. This is a really hard book to like because of the content, but it's written so well that you can't help but like it. The author did an amazing job writing this book.

Rust & Stardust by T.  Greenwood is a story about a little girl (Sally), that lifts a composition notebook from a store and is led to believe that the man who caught her was FBI and she is in serious trouble, this man is really a man that has been abducting and raping little girls and been in and out of prison for same, 2 years go by and this is Sally's story along with her family's story and the people that came to care and wonder/worry about her along the way.  I had a hard time putting this book down, as hard as it is to read and the subject matter is hard but it is a very interesting and riveting book. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC book for giving my honest opinion. Than you also to the author:)

In 1848, eleven year old Sally Horner was kidnapped by a horrible pedophile named Frank La Salle.  He was a recently released prisoner who had served time for sexual crimes against children.  When he came across Sally at the Woolworth store, she was vulnerable and a prime target. La Salle was a conman who used fear and intimidation to keep Sally quite and under his control.  Sally went with her kidnapper believing he was with the FBI.  She was told by La Salle that she would be arrested and jailed if she did not go with him.  Sally had stolen a notebook at the store on a dare from some girls at school.  She was lonely and desperately wanted to be included in their club. La Salle frightened her so much she felt she had no other choice but to go along with his plan.  
 Rust and Stardust takes you into Sally’s world of horror and fear at the hands of this horrible man.  Other chapters explore the heartache her mother, sister and brother-in-law went through as they tried to deal with their own fears for Sally and the inept police investigation into her kidnapping.    
This story is also based on a true life kidnapping of a girl name Sally Horner.  My heart broke for Sally while she was under the control of this horrible man.  I found the book to be very  interesting and at the same time unsettling. This book gets a definite five star review from me. I received an ARC from NetGalley.  This review is my unbiased opinion.

This story captivated from the very first lines.  It is easy to identify, empathize and lament with the characters as the story unravels.  Could not put this one down.

I actually enjoyed reading Rust & Stardust. The book is disturbing, and the facts are unbelievable. An eleven year old girl shoplifts at Woolworth's in an attempt to join a clique. A man witnesses her actions, confronts her and pretends to be an FBI agent. The girl returns home, yet she willingly goes to meet the man again. She then makes up a story for her mother, and the mother actually hands her daughter over to the kidnapper. While it seems impossible to fathom a mother handing over her daughter to a kidnapper, the novel makes one understand how this could happen.


This novel is based on a true story from the 1940's. The overall story is based on fact, but many of the details are made up by the author. I loved some of Sally's interactions with other characters in the novel as they gave me hope that she would ultimately escape her captor. Greenwood creates a captivating story and helps us see how "stranger danger" came to be a necessary part of parenting. This is a story that all parents should read. While most children and parents would not fall for Frank's ruse today, kidnappings still happen. Even though children are now savvier so are the bad guys, so it is important to realize how easy it can be for an adult to deceive a child.

Very good book,  really fiction but could be TRUTH.   The story is a little hard because of contines but gripping.  Self what we can endure!

Rust & Stardust is a novel that is based on the real-life kidnapping of Sally Horner who was 11 years old at the time. As well as her kidnapper. This is the story that inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write his controversial and iconic book, Lolita. This happened in 1948.

During a game of dare, Sally attempted to steal a notebook from a Woolworths. When she was stopped by a man who said he was an FBI agent. He claimed that she was under arrest. She didn’t know that this wasn’t true and that she wasn’t really under arrest. He actually was an ex-con by the name of Frank LaSalle who had just gotten out of prison. He tells Sally if she does not cooperate, she will go to jail. Scared, she does exactly as he asked.

The next part of the book is the two years in which he mentally, sexually, and physically abuses Sally. They travel from place to place. Moving on when people get suspicious of him. The book allows us to see her doubt, fear and loathing. I think her anger and her resentment. We also see her hope and her strength.

At this point, Amber alerts didn’t exist and people were more trusting. The harsh reality of life was rarely discussed and many children weren’t warned about abusers. This is a sad and heartbreaking book. This is not a happy book. This is a story of pain, loss, fear, and abuse.

The writing in Rust & Stardust is captivating and wonderful. I thought the author did these sensitive subjects justice in a thoughtful way. I thought the authors note at the end was very poignant and extremely educational. I loved the books that causes me to really think about things. It was extremely moving and gripping.

Overall I gave this book four stars because I enjoyed the novel. If I can say enjoyed this hard novel. The topics were well done. I hope you check it out.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t able to finish this title. The writing and the pace just didn’t capture my attention fast enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read Rust and Stardust, by T. Greenwood. This book is hard to put down. You just want to jump in and save little Sally from LaSalle, a disgusting, manipulative kidnapper of the worst kind. In 1948, in NJ, eleven year old Sally has shoplifted to gain admission into a club. A quiet, shy, loner of a girl, Sally, wants to be in this club more than anything, even if she has to break the law and disappoint her mom. Watching the initiation unfold, LaSalle capitalizes on Sally’s innocence and fear to whisk her away from her home. The next two years are full of fear, hate, abuse, and constantly moving around to avoid detection. Lolita, by Nabokov, was written based on this true account. The reader will never forget Sally Horner, a life cut short by the evil of mankind.

This harrowing tale of the 1948 kidnapping of 11-year-old Sally Horner by a pedophile is both riveting and disturbing, especially knowing it was based on real events. After extensively researching the abduction, the author used her imagination to write a fictionalized account of Sally's two-year ordeal with her captor and the impact her kidnapping had on those she left behind and encountered along the way. I started it yesterday afternoon and stayed up late to finish it.