Based on a true story. Plymouth 1941 Maggie’s baby didn’t make it through labor and delivery and she’s overcomes with grief.
Air raids occur every day and a family with no relation to Maggie realizes their baby Freddie was left behind as they’re patiently waiting for the all clear to come out.
Maggie’s husband starts picking through the rubble looking to help survivors and hears a crying baby, but where is his family? Did they perish in the air raid and besides if they didn’t, who leaves their helpless baby behind? Rescuing the baby he brings it home to his wife who automatically assumes it’s her son whom she never believed died at birth to begin with.
This is a wartime story of courage, love and family. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook for an honest review. 3.5 stars.

This was an excellent book that told the true story the Shawbrook family during WWII in Plymouth, England. When little Freddy, the youngest child in the family, is accidentally left alone at home during an air raid, it is assumed he perished with the other family members that died that day. The only surviving family member that is aware of the fact that Freddy was accidentally left at home, is Vera, his older sister. Unfortunately, Vera is severely injured in the bombing and doesn’t remember anything about who she is or what happened prior to ending up in the hospital. The oldest daughter, Muriel, and her father, are the only other survivors, as they were not at home when the bombing happened. As they both deal with their grief over the loss of their mother/wife and the other children, they come to find out that little Freddy was found alive and rescued by a police officer.

As the story unfolds, and the remaining family members search for Freddy, they eventually learn that the police officer that rescued him was killed before he could report the missing child. No one is aware of the fact that the police officer took him home so his wife, Maggie, could care for him until he was able to make a formal report. Maggie, who is grieving the loss of their own baby, is intent on hiding Freddy in order to pass him off as her own child. After her husband is killed, Maggie tells multiple lies to cover up the fact that Freddy is not really her biological son, and eventually goes into hiding when suspicions mount.

There were many twists and turns in the story as the family searches for Freddy and tries to chase down Maggie, once they find out she has him. There are many interesting connections and coincidences and it kept me interested and anxious to find out what happened next. The narrator was also excellent, which made it more enjoyable. This is the first book I’ve read by this Diney Costeloe and I will be searching out her other books to read, as well.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to and review this ARC of this audiobook. #TheStolenBaby #NetGalley #DreamscapesMedia

This was a wonderful story with an amazing plot, and narration. I would even LOVE to see this turned into a film.

War, bombings, loss, love, and small world connections can all be found in this story. The way Diney Costeloe describes everything, and the way it is read by Ella Lynch, is a match made in Heaven! Together they bring the story to life, helping the reader envision everything that is happening.

When Plymouth is hit with bombs, and families are dispersed into madness, a baby is forgotten. As the story proceeds, we find out what happens with that baby. How his family’s world, can be connected in so many ways to another’s and the affects that can have.

Thank you to: Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this book before release. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a service like this that helps promote authors and publishers, and gives readers a chance to help as well.

#TheStolenBaby #NetGalley #Dreamscape Media

Solid four stars. There was no profanity. I enjoyed the storyline, and found it believable. The ending was perfect. While reading/listening I didn't find my mind wandering. The story flowed really well. While the back drop is war, the story is about the baby not the war. I liked the characters and was invested.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Stolen Baby.

#NetGalley
#TheStolenBaby
#DineyCosteloe
#DreamscapeMedia
#Audiobook
#NarratorEllaLynch

I loved this book so much. There were many great twists and turns. A good period war peace. Glad for the great ending and outcome.

I loved this book it kept me interested. I haven’t had a chance to read much historical fiction and this was a great story. Reading that it was based on a true story makes sense it was a very believable story.
Two sisters and their father lose their whole family during wartime England where is baby gets forgotten back at their house and a policeman rescues the child and brings him home to his wife. The next day the husband dies from another era Wade and the wife decides to
keep the baby he makes a good replacement
for one that she lost and he has the same age
I had a lot of sympathy for Maggie the one who kept the baby when she shouldn’t. After losing her husband and her child ,!keeping a baby that wasn’t hers gave her something to live for but soon she was on the run!
Great characters that were very realistic. I didn’t know it was based on a real story but that makes sense I highly recommend this book thank you for the opportunity to listen to it for my review

The Stolen Baby by Diney Costeloe (Author), Ella Lynch (Narrator)

This story grabbed my attention when I saw the audiobook available on NetGalley. The audio narration had me picturing all the events so very well, as if I was there with the characters. There were a couple of times when tears came to my eyes, knowing that not only these characters went through losing so much to the bombing of the English cities, but countless real life families. Life with bombings of homes, hospitals, bomb shelters and more, took a toll on everybody, one way or another.

It's 1941, Plymouth, and air raid warden, David Shawbrook, is hard at work helping people get to safety during the latest heavy bombing. When it's over, he finds his home bombed and the shelter where his family took refuge, pulverized. The loss of his wife and so many of his children is unbearable and only the fact that he is so desperately needed by others. who've lost so much, is all that keeps him going. Thank goodness he still has a son overseas (if he hasn't been killed in the war) and a daughter who is nursing in another city.

During that same bombing, Maggie's husband found a nine month old baby, left alone in a bombed out house. Knowing he shouldn't do it, he takes the baby home to his wife, who has been despondent since they lost their newborn nine months ago. Little does he know it but he's setting into motion devious plans by Maggie, while David and his remaining daughter(s) search for the baby that was accidently left in their house during the air raid.

I've been drawn to stories the detail the hardships and heartbreak of those living in the English cities being bombed during WWII. There were those who would take advantage of others when they were at their lowest but even more so were the people who worked to exhaustion trying to help those in need. The love and loyalty of family and friends shines through in this story of a family doing all they can do to find their baby Freddy. I'm definitely going to check out more books by this author.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.