Great book that had me rooting for the "bad person" in a way. It did a great job of taking a horrifying event and showing both sides of the story. ( )

I could not put this book down. The only reason I am giving it 4-stars rather than 5 is that I didn't like the ending. I won't spoil it, so you can keep reading...

This is the story of Marilyn. One fateful day, her babysitter calls to cancel so she ends up trying to shuffle work and being a mom without the help that she is used to. She takes her 4-month old baby Natalie to IKEA. While they are shopping, she gets a phone call on her cell phone. This was before most anyone had cell phones, so the reception was terrible. It was an important phone call, so Marilyn moved her body to try to get better reception. She thought it would only be for a second.

This is the story of Lucy. She has tried and tried and tried to get pregnant, but still finds herself childless. She is at IKEA at the same time as Marilyn and happens to come across Natalie in the cart with no adult in sight. She doesn't plan to kidnap a child that day, or ever. She just sees the child all alone and cold from the A/C. She thinks she should take the child to the checkout lanes and find an employee, or maybe outside just for a minute to warm her up. But the next thing she knows, she has the baby in her car and she is driving away.

Lucy changes Natalie's name to Mia. They live a happy life for 21 years. That is when it all comes out into the open. Mian/Natalie has to decide who she is. Does she want Lucy to be punished? What kind of relationship does she want with her birth mom?

I could NOT put this book down! ( )

As a parent, the thought of one of my children being kidnapped is inconceivable. I don't think that is something I could come back from. So, being a parent, I expected so much more from this book. Before I explain myself, let me say this is a good book. It's just not the profound and moving book I was expecting.

This story is told in more of an interview stlye. It reads like someone is recounting the events in their life. Which, really is happening. Lucy kidnaps baby. The parents are devistated and have a hard time moving forward. Years down the road Mia, the baby who was kidnapped, finds out who she really is. This is where I really expected to get a gripping story. However, I didn't. Things were so matter of fact.

I had hoped for a huge climax in this story. I expected to be heartbroken. I expected to feel all sorts of emotions. None of these never really came. This story had no true emotion to it. It fell kind of flat for me. Like I said, it is a good book, but not a great and profound book. This kind of story calls for great and profound. If you are looking for a story you can sit and get lost in without too much emotional turmoil, this is definitely a story for you. ( )

The part about China is interesting. I definitely side with the main character. ( )

This book is sure to spark lively discussions in book clubs. So many topics to discuss: motherhood, forgiveness, coping strategies, forgiveness, justice....the list goes on. I certainly felt a need to talk about it with someone when I finished.

When Lucy abducts the baby from an IKEA shopping cart it was not a premeditated action. She's a smart, successful business woman whose marriage fell apart when they were unable to conceive. When she sees the unattended baby in the cart she was horrified and her first instinct was to protect the child. From there, things progressed rapidly to a point of no return. Watching how she rationalized her bad choices was fascinating. Lucy ends up keeping the baby, renames her Mia, and raises her as her own - until it all implodes 21 years later.

The story is told from several perspectives: Lucy, the kidnapper, Marilyn, the birth mother, and Mia, the abducted baby. There are also several short chapters from Lucy’s sister, Mia’s nanny, the detective and Mia's father. The current trend of multiple POV stories can be tiresome and gimmicky, but in this case it was essential to the story. The short-term and long-term effects of a child abduction on everyone are explored, as are the coping mechanisms used by the different characters. In particular, Marilyn's transformation was interesting.
It made me think and brought up more questions than answers. As a mom and a grandmother of a nearly 3 mo old granddaughter, it was easy to personalize the issues raised.

I loved that the author didn't present the issues as totally black & white (the older I get the more I appreciate this) and the ending wasn't neatly tied in a bow - much like life. Nothing can justify the abduction of a child but the aftermath was thought-provoking. Mia's dilemma was especially compelling.

If I have a complaint it's that the first half was a tad slow but the set up is necessary and the story as a whole is a great read. ( )