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What Was Mine
Simply told but deeply affecting, in the bestselling tradition of Alice McDermott and Tom Perrotta, this urgent novel unravels the heartrending yet unsentimental tale of a woman who kidnaps a baby in a superstore—and gets away with it for twenty-one years.
Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.
Author Helen Klein Ross, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, weaves a powerful story of upheaval and resilience told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. What Was Mine is a compelling tale of motherhood and loss, of grief and hope, and the life-shattering effects of a single, irrevocable moment.
Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.
Author Helen Klein Ross, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, weaves a powerful story of upheaval and resilience told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. What Was Mine is a compelling tale of motherhood and loss, of grief and hope, and the life-shattering effects of a single, irrevocable moment.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2016
About the author
Helen Klein Ross
6 books377 followersHelen's third novel The Latecomers will be published by Little, Brown on November 6, 2018. Told in interweaving timelines, this story spans an American century, bringing steam engines, top hats and suffragettes into brilliant collision with cell phones, 9/11 and ancestry apps.
Helen's poetry, essays, and fiction have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, literary journals and in anthologies, including SHORT, published in 2014 by Persea Books. Her first novel, Making It: A Novel of Madison Avenue, published in 2013 by Gallery/Simon and Schuster, is an e-book featuring the first digital epilogue. Her bestselling novel What Was Mine, published in 2016, tells the tale of a woman who kidnaps a baby from a shopping cart and gets away with it until the baby turns 21.
Helen is also the creator and editor of a poetry anthology, The Traveler's Vade Mecum, from Red Hen Press. Over 80 poets-- including Frank Bidart, David Lehman and Billy Collins-- wrote to telegram titles from an 1853 compendium that provides a glimpse into habits and social aspects of nineteenth-century America.
Helen lives in New York City and Lakeville, Connecticut where she is on the board of a haven for book lovers: Scoville Memorial Library.
Helen's poetry, essays, and fiction have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, literary journals and in anthologies, including SHORT, published in 2014 by Persea Books. Her first novel, Making It: A Novel of Madison Avenue, published in 2013 by Gallery/Simon and Schuster, is an e-book featuring the first digital epilogue. Her bestselling novel What Was Mine, published in 2016, tells the tale of a woman who kidnaps a baby from a shopping cart and gets away with it until the baby turns 21.
Helen is also the creator and editor of a poetry anthology, The Traveler's Vade Mecum, from Red Hen Press. Over 80 poets-- including Frank Bidart, David Lehman and Billy Collins-- wrote to telegram titles from an 1853 compendium that provides a glimpse into habits and social aspects of nineteenth-century America.
Helen lives in New York City and Lakeville, Connecticut where she is on the board of a haven for book lovers: Scoville Memorial Library.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,807 reviews
January 11, 2018
When I read the book description, I felt like it almost told the whole story. But honestly this book is about so much more than a kidnapping. Obviously that is a huge part of it, but it's very different from any other kidnapping story I have read. Right off we know who did it. But we also see how everyone is affected by it. We see time passing and how everyone tries to cope. It is about a kidnapping, but it’s also about the power of a mother's love, loss, anger, forgiveness and so much more.
We first meet Lucy Wakefield. Lucy tells us she can’t tell her story straight. She has to tell it in circles, like rings of a tree that signify the passage of time.
Lucy starts by saying how badly she wanted a child. She is very successful in business but what she wants most is a child. She is devastated that she’s been unable to conceive a child after years of trying both naturally and with medical help. When having a child consumes all of her thoughts and time, her husband eventually leaves her. She knows that her chances of adopting as a single mother are very slim. On one of her frequent trips to IKEA she makes a split second decision that will change her life and the lives of so many others.
Marilyn has relived the worst day of her live over and over. She remembers that she overslept that day. She remembers that the babysitter had to cancel and she was anxious as she was supposed to deliver a report at work that afternoon.
“Without a babysitter, I was in trouble or so I thought, then unaware of what real trouble was.”
I can’t even imagine going through something like this.
I loved that the chapters were labeled clearly as there were many points of view. It just made the alternating perspectives of Mia, Lucy, Marilyn and so many others involved easier to keep up with. An easy read in regards to the way it was written. But it was also emotional, heartbreaking and devastating. I felt so many different emotions while reading this powerful book! The characters were all so well-defined. The passing of time and how differently people adapted to what had happened. As much as I wanted to see what was going to happen next, I was still enjoying everything I was reading. I learned a lot about meditation and yoga, the reunification process, China and Chinese culture and more.
I felt the ending was a bit open to interpretation, but I was okay with that. I can’t even imagine how hard it was to try to write an ending to a story like this.
An engrossing read that I highly recommend!!
May 18, 2016
This book about a baby kidnapping has me all tied up in knots. First, there’s the tone throughout the whole story. I would call it almost perky. Tell me, truthfully, how do the words “perky” and “kidnap” go together in any universe? Okay, if I take it down a notch and just call it “calm,” it’s still majorly weird. The initial abduction, of course, is high drama, but there’s also this eerie calm encasing it. I can’t decide if I liked the calm or not, but I had to keep reading, even though I was tired and hungry. Since calm didn’t go with the deed, I felt all off kilter, but then I remembered that sometimes a calm sociopath does throw you for a loop.
But what really really has me all unchy is the ending. I hated it. And the bad part is, I can’t talk about it in this review because it would be one big spoiler. It’s times like this I wish I belonged to a book group that picked this book as its next read. I want to empathically voice my feelings on the damn ending, which just seemed all wrong. It really has me thinking about loss and love, crime and punishment, attachment and detachment, belonging and not belonging. Is the ending realistic? I’m hoping it isn’t, but I fear it is. And this is what messes with my head. Does the author really believe the ending is what should have happened, or is she just trying to stir it up? I prefer to think it’s the latter. I felt this pressure to agree with the ending, which was disturbing as hell. When I think of the ending, two words come to mind: church and PC. I cannot say any more.
The baby was abducted from IKEA. (I'm guessing the writer had to get permission to use their name?) The abduction scene is so well written, I could just see the aisle where the baby was taken from. I’m certain that I’ll never be at IKEA again without thinking of this book, and I’ll no doubt be on the lookout for unattended kids and potential kidnappers. I hope no one catches me doing my pretend PI bit.
The story is told from different points of view (which worked great), and the main narrator is the abductor herself. This by itself makes the book unusual and fun—how often is the villain also the storyteller? We also hear from the birth mother and from the abducted child (when grown up), and this adds complexity and excitement to the story. The characters at times felt a little flat (it’s that “too calm” thing again), but I still found them interesting.
There were a couple of coincidences that I just didn’t buy. And I’m not big on premonitions (as a plot device, they often seem like cheating to me). There was a premonition in this book that bugged me; it seemed like the author was trying to cover up for a far-fetched coincidence. Luckily, the premonition wasn’t given a lot of air time.
I don’t often read psychological thrillers, and there are only a few that are favorites (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Gone Girl, The Dinner). Though I don’t think What Was Mine is as good as these gems, it nonetheless burrowed into my skin like a chigger.
This offbeat and well-written psychological study of motherhood was a clear 4-star book until I hit the messed-up ending. And then I was all No, No, No! So 3 stars it is, though they’re shining pretty bright.
I’m sure I won’t forget this book, mostly because the ending wound me up so much. Please read this. Then we can pretend we’re in a book club, and even if you love the ending, we can go cuckoo over it together.
But what really really has me all unchy is the ending. I hated it. And the bad part is, I can’t talk about it in this review because it would be one big spoiler. It’s times like this I wish I belonged to a book group that picked this book as its next read. I want to empathically voice my feelings on the damn ending, which just seemed all wrong. It really has me thinking about loss and love, crime and punishment, attachment and detachment, belonging and not belonging. Is the ending realistic? I’m hoping it isn’t, but I fear it is. And this is what messes with my head. Does the author really believe the ending is what should have happened, or is she just trying to stir it up? I prefer to think it’s the latter. I felt this pressure to agree with the ending, which was disturbing as hell. When I think of the ending, two words come to mind: church and PC. I cannot say any more.
The baby was abducted from IKEA. (I'm guessing the writer had to get permission to use their name?) The abduction scene is so well written, I could just see the aisle where the baby was taken from. I’m certain that I’ll never be at IKEA again without thinking of this book, and I’ll no doubt be on the lookout for unattended kids and potential kidnappers. I hope no one catches me doing my pretend PI bit.
The story is told from different points of view (which worked great), and the main narrator is the abductor herself. This by itself makes the book unusual and fun—how often is the villain also the storyteller? We also hear from the birth mother and from the abducted child (when grown up), and this adds complexity and excitement to the story. The characters at times felt a little flat (it’s that “too calm” thing again), but I still found them interesting.
There were a couple of coincidences that I just didn’t buy. And I’m not big on premonitions (as a plot device, they often seem like cheating to me). There was a premonition in this book that bugged me; it seemed like the author was trying to cover up for a far-fetched coincidence. Luckily, the premonition wasn’t given a lot of air time.
I don’t often read psychological thrillers, and there are only a few that are favorites (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Gone Girl, The Dinner). Though I don’t think What Was Mine is as good as these gems, it nonetheless burrowed into my skin like a chigger.
This offbeat and well-written psychological study of motherhood was a clear 4-star book until I hit the messed-up ending. And then I was all No, No, No! So 3 stars it is, though they’re shining pretty bright.
I’m sure I won’t forget this book, mostly because the ending wound me up so much. Please read this. Then we can pretend we’re in a book club, and even if you love the ending, we can go cuckoo over it together.
December 3, 2015
I've read books that have left me bawling - others I've laughed so hard that I was rolling on the floor. Others where I didn't like the characters at all, but thought the story was brilliant.
In this *impossible-story-to-forget*, I felt INTENSE ANGER towards a character
more than I can ever remember experiencing.
I can't say enough high praise for author Helen Klein Ross in the way she wrote this book. ( the roller coaster emotions & thoughts she pulled out of us readers).
If there was a voting award category for BEST BOOK CLUB pick for readers to vote, "What Was Mine" would make not only make the list ... but could win the grand award.
There are many things I'd like to share in this review - yet almost anything I do, becomes a spoiler.
So..... instead of a normal 'review'... ( 5 stars from me)...
I'll share one detail: "A Baby is Kidnapped and raised by the single woman who took her for 20 years". ( but you may have already read that). Oh well! :)
As for the rest of this review, I will share directly to a few of the characters.
LUCY: Here is what I have to say to you > what you did from the moment you kidnapped a baby was WRONG... wrong ... wrong ... ( we all know that)....
However, I didn't 'directly FEEL "intense anger" towards you until one morning when you went for a swim when in China. I HATED you when you said "the water made you feel calmer". I was pissed at you for feeling annoyed that you had to share the public pool with another swimmer. I wanted to kill you in that moment. Oh, I was soooo MAD at you!!!!!
And yes.... ( at times), I even felt compassion towards you too. WE CAN THANK Our VERY TALENTED AUTHOR!!!
CHERYL: We need to have a conversation - sister!!! You said something that I will continue to think about long after having read this book. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID... ( we can debate pros and cons later)... let's not give anything away to our readers, though. ( they can read this themselves). Other readers might debate with later too.
MIA: I'm soooooo sorry sweetheart!!!!
TOM: Do you realize you were somewhat of a turd?? If you have doubts..I'm happy to set you straight!
MARILYN: What can I possibly say? OH MY GOD, my heart broke for you!!!
I was also very moved and inspired of the difference Yoga, meditation and a vegan diet added to your life. Your years of getting support - practicing forgiveness -was realistic and incredible. You became my hero. Thank you..I'm sincerely moved.
MOTHERS ... [MOTHER TO MOTHER], CUT IT OUT!!!! Stop comparing who is a better mother by who cooks more - who is a stay at home mother - or a working mother. STOP THE MOTHER WARS! ( daughters might take a lesson too).
"What Was Mine", was more addicting than M&M's!!!!
Thank you Gallery Books, Netgalley, and Helen Klein Ross
In this *impossible-story-to-forget*, I felt INTENSE ANGER towards a character
more than I can ever remember experiencing.
I can't say enough high praise for author Helen Klein Ross in the way she wrote this book. ( the roller coaster emotions & thoughts she pulled out of us readers).
If there was a voting award category for BEST BOOK CLUB pick for readers to vote, "What Was Mine" would make not only make the list ... but could win the grand award.
There are many things I'd like to share in this review - yet almost anything I do, becomes a spoiler.
So..... instead of a normal 'review'... ( 5 stars from me)...
I'll share one detail: "A Baby is Kidnapped and raised by the single woman who took her for 20 years". ( but you may have already read that). Oh well! :)
As for the rest of this review, I will share directly to a few of the characters.
LUCY: Here is what I have to say to you > what you did from the moment you kidnapped a baby was WRONG... wrong ... wrong ... ( we all know that)....
However, I didn't 'directly FEEL "intense anger" towards you until one morning when you went for a swim when in China. I HATED you when you said "the water made you feel calmer". I was pissed at you for feeling annoyed that you had to share the public pool with another swimmer. I wanted to kill you in that moment. Oh, I was soooo MAD at you!!!!!
And yes.... ( at times), I even felt compassion towards you too. WE CAN THANK Our VERY TALENTED AUTHOR!!!
CHERYL: We need to have a conversation - sister!!! You said something that I will continue to think about long after having read this book. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID... ( we can debate pros and cons later)... let's not give anything away to our readers, though. ( they can read this themselves). Other readers might debate with later too.
MIA: I'm soooooo sorry sweetheart!!!!
TOM: Do you realize you were somewhat of a turd?? If you have doubts..I'm happy to set you straight!
MARILYN: What can I possibly say? OH MY GOD, my heart broke for you!!!
I was also very moved and inspired of the difference Yoga, meditation and a vegan diet added to your life. Your years of getting support - practicing forgiveness -was realistic and incredible. You became my hero. Thank you..I'm sincerely moved.
MOTHERS ... [MOTHER TO MOTHER], CUT IT OUT!!!! Stop comparing who is a better mother by who cooks more - who is a stay at home mother - or a working mother. STOP THE MOTHER WARS! ( daughters might take a lesson too).
"What Was Mine", was more addicting than M&M's!!!!
Thank you Gallery Books, Netgalley, and Helen Klein Ross
August 19, 2022
“Pain is inevitable in this world… suffering is optional”
A heart-felt story of the desperate act one woman took to have the baby she always wanted.
Lucy has always wanted to be a mother. Born to be a mother. But after learning she couldn’t conceive she was crushed, sure her chance at motherhood was over. But after Lucy takes an otherwise normal quick trip to IKEA she discovers a baby left alone in a buggy….no mom in sight. Should she just hold and comfort the infant for a moment? Maybe just gently walk around with her. All common sense has given way to her overpowering need to have a child. Lucy now discreetly makes her way out of IKEA and into her car heading home with a beautiful baby girl in tow.
Marilyn needed to take a quick call from work. She stepped away from her IKEA buggy for what felt like a mere moment, but it was long enough that when she came back her baby girl was gone.
Mia has grown up in New York with the only mom she has known….Lucy. But all that’s about to change – big time!
This book seriously tugged at my heart. I truly felt for everyone involved in this emotional story. My loyalties bouncing back and forth between these women. There could be no winners. And sadly, Mia was caught in the middle.
I listened to the audio version and felt all the narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life.
Thank you to my local library🎧
A heart-felt story of the desperate act one woman took to have the baby she always wanted.
Lucy has always wanted to be a mother. Born to be a mother. But after learning she couldn’t conceive she was crushed, sure her chance at motherhood was over. But after Lucy takes an otherwise normal quick trip to IKEA she discovers a baby left alone in a buggy….no mom in sight. Should she just hold and comfort the infant for a moment? Maybe just gently walk around with her. All common sense has given way to her overpowering need to have a child. Lucy now discreetly makes her way out of IKEA and into her car heading home with a beautiful baby girl in tow.
Marilyn needed to take a quick call from work. She stepped away from her IKEA buggy for what felt like a mere moment, but it was long enough that when she came back her baby girl was gone.
Mia has grown up in New York with the only mom she has known….Lucy. But all that’s about to change – big time!
This book seriously tugged at my heart. I truly felt for everyone involved in this emotional story. My loyalties bouncing back and forth between these women. There could be no winners. And sadly, Mia was caught in the middle.
I listened to the audio version and felt all the narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life.
Thank you to my local library🎧
February 26, 2021
Imagine this...you turn your back on your baby left in a shopping trolley to take a phone call from your workplace, you are distracted for minutes, but you will regret those minutes for the rest of your life.
Your baby has been taken...
Every mothers nightmare right? Just can't imagine the sheer terror that would turn your blood cold. This book tackles that very scenario and does it in a highly engaging and readable way. A book you won't forget in a hurry.
Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.
Is Lucy a bad person? You really have to come to your own conclusions on that. The book doesn't let things be very clear cut from the start, the scary thing is she gets away with raising her newly "adopted" daughter for 21 years! Yes, 21 years...
With changing viewpoints and voices the book explores so many different issues around what motherhood is and isn't and it is fascinating (if not somewhat difficult) to read the roll-out impact over the years on Lucy, Mia and the birth mother. Did she do the wrong thing by putting an urgent phone call over keeping an eye on her baby? Did she deserve to feel guilty and beat herself up? Does it make a difference how the abductor (Lucy) raises the stolen baby? Does it matter if she is brought up well or not?
As the book steams forward to the reconnection of Mia with her birth mother you will no doubt go through a fair few thoughts and feelings around this book. Quite incredible to find out your daughter is alive and well no doubt 21 years on! The ways this impacts on the new family and everyone is just something that needs to be read for yourself. Does nurture or nature prevail?
This is a great read that I think many will enjoy, this one gets 4 happy reading stars from me. Enjoy!
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley, many thanks.
Your baby has been taken...
Every mothers nightmare right? Just can't imagine the sheer terror that would turn your blood cold. This book tackles that very scenario and does it in a highly engaging and readable way. A book you won't forget in a hurry.
Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.
When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.
Is Lucy a bad person? You really have to come to your own conclusions on that. The book doesn't let things be very clear cut from the start, the scary thing is she gets away with raising her newly "adopted" daughter for 21 years! Yes, 21 years...
With changing viewpoints and voices the book explores so many different issues around what motherhood is and isn't and it is fascinating (if not somewhat difficult) to read the roll-out impact over the years on Lucy, Mia and the birth mother. Did she do the wrong thing by putting an urgent phone call over keeping an eye on her baby? Did she deserve to feel guilty and beat herself up? Does it make a difference how the abductor (Lucy) raises the stolen baby? Does it matter if she is brought up well or not?
As the book steams forward to the reconnection of Mia with her birth mother you will no doubt go through a fair few thoughts and feelings around this book. Quite incredible to find out your daughter is alive and well no doubt 21 years on! The ways this impacts on the new family and everyone is just something that needs to be read for yourself. Does nurture or nature prevail?
This is a great read that I think many will enjoy, this one gets 4 happy reading stars from me. Enjoy!
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley, many thanks.
January 28, 2016
4.5 Stars
As the beautiful song goes by Jamie Lawson I "Wasn't Expecting That ".
"Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment. She takes a baby girl from a shopping trolly and raises it as her own"
While reading this story my emotions were all over the place and I kept thinking what a great discussion book this would make for a book club.
I came across this book by accident when I was looking for an audio book and just downloaded it on a whim and I really wasnt expecting the emotional and fascinating read that I got.
This was a book that had my thoughts and emotions all over the place. The plot was imaginative, characters were well developed and pacing was excellent. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia's birth mother and others
intimately involved in the lives of this family.
Really enjoyed this book and the narration was excellent.
As the beautiful song goes by Jamie Lawson I "Wasn't Expecting That ".
"Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment. She takes a baby girl from a shopping trolly and raises it as her own"
While reading this story my emotions were all over the place and I kept thinking what a great discussion book this would make for a book club.
I came across this book by accident when I was looking for an audio book and just downloaded it on a whim and I really wasnt expecting the emotional and fascinating read that I got.
This was a book that had my thoughts and emotions all over the place. The plot was imaginative, characters were well developed and pacing was excellent. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia's birth mother and others
intimately involved in the lives of this family.
Really enjoyed this book and the narration was excellent.
November 14, 2015
Yikes! What Was Mine is so creepy -- every parent's worst nightmare. And yet I can't quite believe how much I enjoyed reading this book -- it is so well done. On impulse, desperate for a child, Lucy kidnaps Marilyn's baby from an IKEA store when the baby is 4 months old. She renames the baby Mia and goes on to raise the baby as her own, appearing to the world as the single mother of an adopted child. The kidnapping happens in the early 1990s. The story is alternatingly told from the perspectives of Lucy, Marilyn and a few other people affected by the kidnapping. They tell the story from today's vantage point, with the benefit of hindsight, slowly revealing what happened in the years following the kidnapping. Lucy is completely deadpan in her self-justification for what she did, and her satisfaction that she has done a good job raising Marilyn's daughter -- with occasional flashes of insight at the craziness of what she did and the pain she must have caused Marilyn. In contrast, Marilyn falls apart and later as best she can puts the pieces back together -- but, again, with the benefit of time she tells her story in a matter of fact way. It's well written, it's clever, it's chilling, and it made me want to rush to the end to figure whether and how Lucy's deception comes crashing down. And the end was certainly interesting, although it definitely won't be satisfying to everyone. No more said to avoid spoilers. This a book with absolutely no violence but that had my stomach in knots and my shoulders up to my ears. Very well done, harrowing and so clever. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
February 25, 2016
What Was Mine
When my firstborn son was only 14 months old I allowed him to stay with his paternal grandparents for almost a month. That meant he had to travel fifteen hundred miles away from me all the way from South Florida to Boston.
Up to that point, we had never been apart, not even for a day and though rationally I knew he was safe and well taken care of, I can still recall the apprehension, unease and sense of emptiness I felt during those weeks.
What were my biggest fears? Did he feel I had abandoned him? Would he recognize me when he saw me? How long would it take for a one year-old to forget his mom's face?
Of course I realize there's not comparison between my experience and what happens in this story, but for some reason reading it triggered those memories and gave me a sense of the pain and horror one must experience when losing your child in any way, but especially in the dramatic, horrifying fashion described in this novel.
What Was Mine is an engrossing novel, at times absorbing and agonizing but also deeply moving and though-provoking.
I appreciated Helen Klein Ross ability to create characters that were rich and morally complex, not an easy task considering the disturbing nature of this story.
As readers our sympathies lie mostly with the two main characters, Mia and Marilyn and with their extended families, but I thought Lucy was a very well-developed, complex protagonist, maybe we should agree to call her our quasi-villain?
We certainly get to know Lucy better than any of the other characters and although I (mostly) hated her for what she did, I was also able to understand the motivations behind her unconscious actions.
I found Mia to be a somewhat one-dimensional character, especially considering the pivotal role she played in the story, I still didn't seem to get a full sense of her relationships with Lucy and her aunt. In a way Mia's connection to Wendy, her loving Chinese nanny, is more accurately described than the one she had with her own secretive mother.
Marilyn's voice felt very authentic and sensibly narrated but I would've liked to get to know her a little better. Her divorce and subsequent decision to start a new life in California made perfect sense to me.
And although Wendy was a minor character I thought she was very well drawn and her sense of decency and personal story touched me deeply.
The chapters set in China were particularly engrossing, very interesting to see that culture juxtaposed and compared to ours especially within the frame of this story.
The descriptions of how China's one-child policy affected the lives of Wendy and her family served to highlight our very profound differences but also our undeniable similarities. And I appreciated the respect Helen Klein Ross showed for the Chinese people and their culture at large.
It was also extremely fascinating to see how 20 years of advances in science and technology, the Internet and the interconnectivity we now enjoy has created such contrasting paradigms in the ways we live, all within a relative short period of time.
I am sure kids are still kidnap, but with the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and cameras everywhere, would it be so easy for a stranger to take a baby from a public place in a largely populated area and get away with it? Somehow I doubt it.
A couple of things that really bothered me, first, what kind of father after 21 years of absence doesn't run home to hug his long lost child the VERY moment she's found??? I don't care that he was overseas, had another wife, whatever, I couldn't believe how nonchalant and detached he was.
There were also a few instances when the kidnapping of baby Natalie was referred to as a "mistake". No matter how charitable one want to be, there's not way to look at this act, as unpremeditated as it was and describe it as anything but a senseless, unconscious crime.
And so I am left wondering, would I be able to forgive a woman that so selfishly and callously kidnapped my baby and then shows not remorse or regret for the harm she caused?
Honestly I am not sure, I'd like to think I would but is probably easier to believe in forgiveness and reconciliation as abstract concepts than to put them in practice under such appalling circumstances.
A good and very wise friend told me the other day "In the end nothing is not worth forgiving", granted this friend is way more enlightened than me, but I agree with her that finding mercy and forgiveness is a goal very much worth pursuing, not matter how wronged you'd been.
Now the question of whether or not Lucy should have served time in jail is a whole other issue...
The conclusion to What Was Mine felt a tad abrupt but I am one that prefers an ambiguous, inconclusive finish to an elaborated, neatly-wrap ending that feels too perfect and unauthentic.
I listened to the audio version of this book which was very well narrated by a multicast. Fiction doesn't always work on audio but this one did for me.
So if you are able to moderately suspend disbelief and looking for a riveting, intense story, I highly recommend this one.
And I have to say, I drive by an IKEA on my way to work every day. I'll probably never look at that store in the same way, that's for sure.
*WARNING MY REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS*
When my firstborn son was only 14 months old I allowed him to stay with his paternal grandparents for almost a month. That meant he had to travel fifteen hundred miles away from me all the way from South Florida to Boston.
Up to that point, we had never been apart, not even for a day and though rationally I knew he was safe and well taken care of, I can still recall the apprehension, unease and sense of emptiness I felt during those weeks.
What were my biggest fears? Did he feel I had abandoned him? Would he recognize me when he saw me? How long would it take for a one year-old to forget his mom's face?
Of course I realize there's not comparison between my experience and what happens in this story, but for some reason reading it triggered those memories and gave me a sense of the pain and horror one must experience when losing your child in any way, but especially in the dramatic, horrifying fashion described in this novel.
What Was Mine is an engrossing novel, at times absorbing and agonizing but also deeply moving and though-provoking.
I appreciated Helen Klein Ross ability to create characters that were rich and morally complex, not an easy task considering the disturbing nature of this story.
As readers our sympathies lie mostly with the two main characters, Mia and Marilyn and with their extended families, but I thought Lucy was a very well-developed, complex protagonist, maybe we should agree to call her our quasi-villain?
We certainly get to know Lucy better than any of the other characters and although I (mostly) hated her for what she did, I was also able to understand the motivations behind her unconscious actions.
I found Mia to be a somewhat one-dimensional character, especially considering the pivotal role she played in the story, I still didn't seem to get a full sense of her relationships with Lucy and her aunt. In a way Mia's connection to Wendy, her loving Chinese nanny, is more accurately described than the one she had with her own secretive mother.
Marilyn's voice felt very authentic and sensibly narrated but I would've liked to get to know her a little better. Her divorce and subsequent decision to start a new life in California made perfect sense to me.
And although Wendy was a minor character I thought she was very well drawn and her sense of decency and personal story touched me deeply.
The chapters set in China were particularly engrossing, very interesting to see that culture juxtaposed and compared to ours especially within the frame of this story.
The descriptions of how China's one-child policy affected the lives of Wendy and her family served to highlight our very profound differences but also our undeniable similarities. And I appreciated the respect Helen Klein Ross showed for the Chinese people and their culture at large.
It was also extremely fascinating to see how 20 years of advances in science and technology, the Internet and the interconnectivity we now enjoy has created such contrasting paradigms in the ways we live, all within a relative short period of time.
I am sure kids are still kidnap, but with the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and cameras everywhere, would it be so easy for a stranger to take a baby from a public place in a largely populated area and get away with it? Somehow I doubt it.
A couple of things that really bothered me, first, what kind of father after 21 years of absence doesn't run home to hug his long lost child the VERY moment she's found??? I don't care that he was overseas, had another wife, whatever, I couldn't believe how nonchalant and detached he was.
There were also a few instances when the kidnapping of baby Natalie was referred to as a "mistake". No matter how charitable one want to be, there's not way to look at this act, as unpremeditated as it was and describe it as anything but a senseless, unconscious crime.
And so I am left wondering, would I be able to forgive a woman that so selfishly and callously kidnapped my baby and then shows not remorse or regret for the harm she caused?
Honestly I am not sure, I'd like to think I would but is probably easier to believe in forgiveness and reconciliation as abstract concepts than to put them in practice under such appalling circumstances.
A good and very wise friend told me the other day "In the end nothing is not worth forgiving", granted this friend is way more enlightened than me, but I agree with her that finding mercy and forgiveness is a goal very much worth pursuing, not matter how wronged you'd been.
Now the question of whether or not Lucy should have served time in jail is a whole other issue...
The conclusion to What Was Mine felt a tad abrupt but I am one that prefers an ambiguous, inconclusive finish to an elaborated, neatly-wrap ending that feels too perfect and unauthentic.
I listened to the audio version of this book which was very well narrated by a multicast. Fiction doesn't always work on audio but this one did for me.
So if you are able to moderately suspend disbelief and looking for a riveting, intense story, I highly recommend this one.
And I have to say, I drive by an IKEA on my way to work every day. I'll probably never look at that store in the same way, that's for sure.
December 25, 2016
5 well deserved stars! Absolutely loved this one! I had so many conflicted feelings while reading this novel. This was definitely a page turner and extremely hard to put down.
As always I go into books blind so I don't have any preconceptions of what I am reading and then a couple of chapters in I will read the synopsis. WHAT WAS MINE was a fitting title for this novel by HELEN KLEIN ROSS and isn't your typical kidnapping story it is much more than that. It's about love, forgiveness, change, hope, anger and loss.
It was an engrossing and thought-provoking novel which I read in one day! It was that good.
The story was told in alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, and Marilyn as well as a few others that had some impact connected to the kidnapping. I mostly loved all the characters and was totally wrapped up in each of their lives. Although, Lucy did something extraordinary I couldn't help but feel some compassion for her and wanted her to end up being happy too!
HELEN ROSS KLEIN has done a brilliant job with this book. The storyline was executed perfectly and was easy to follow along with all the characters involved.
Thank you to my Goodreads friends for introducing me to another great read!
It was a fast-paced, thought-provoking, quick, and easy read with an open to your own interpretation ending. Which I thought was satisfying. Highly recommend!!
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...
As always I go into books blind so I don't have any preconceptions of what I am reading and then a couple of chapters in I will read the synopsis. WHAT WAS MINE was a fitting title for this novel by HELEN KLEIN ROSS and isn't your typical kidnapping story it is much more than that. It's about love, forgiveness, change, hope, anger and loss.
It was an engrossing and thought-provoking novel which I read in one day! It was that good.
The story was told in alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, and Marilyn as well as a few others that had some impact connected to the kidnapping. I mostly loved all the characters and was totally wrapped up in each of their lives. Although, Lucy did something extraordinary I couldn't help but feel some compassion for her and wanted her to end up being happy too!
HELEN ROSS KLEIN has done a brilliant job with this book. The storyline was executed perfectly and was easy to follow along with all the characters involved.
Thank you to my Goodreads friends for introducing me to another great read!
It was a fast-paced, thought-provoking, quick, and easy read with an open to your own interpretation ending. Which I thought was satisfying. Highly recommend!!
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...
December 27, 2015
WHAT WAS MINE by Helen Klein Ross is an outstanding emotional read that deals with child abduction…every parent’s nightmare!
Lucy, a recently divorced woman has always wanted only one thing…a child of her own. After pursuing many avenues when she was married to make this dream a reality, she applied for adoption as a single parent, but was refused.
“Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, co-workers, and friends.”
How could she do such a terrible thing and live with herself?
Lucy (the abductor) and the biological mother (Marilyn) are both professional women…1 winner and 1 loser!
Lucy goes to her local IKEA store and sees an unattended four-month-old baby in a cart. Where is her mother? She picks up the baby just for a moment, and ends up walking out of the store to her car with the baby. It just happened so fast…but that doesn’t make it right!
Lucy falls in love with this tiny creature and decides to keep the baby. And she manages to do this for twenty years, changing the name, to hide the truth. She tells everyone she has adopted the baby. She hires a nanny from China to help take care of daughter, Mia.
This is a character-driven novel that shows the emotional impact this wrong decision has on two families. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy Wakefield (the woman who raises someone else's baby), Mia (the former baby), and the birth mother, Marilyn.
I loved this book and felt sorry for both women in this story. Nobody wins.
But without giving any spoilers…their lives will cross and never be the same.
This was a very satisfying read full of mystery twists and surprise.
I wish to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy, a recently divorced woman has always wanted only one thing…a child of her own. After pursuing many avenues when she was married to make this dream a reality, she applied for adoption as a single parent, but was refused.
“Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, co-workers, and friends.”
How could she do such a terrible thing and live with herself?
Lucy (the abductor) and the biological mother (Marilyn) are both professional women…1 winner and 1 loser!
Lucy goes to her local IKEA store and sees an unattended four-month-old baby in a cart. Where is her mother? She picks up the baby just for a moment, and ends up walking out of the store to her car with the baby. It just happened so fast…but that doesn’t make it right!
Lucy falls in love with this tiny creature and decides to keep the baby. And she manages to do this for twenty years, changing the name, to hide the truth. She tells everyone she has adopted the baby. She hires a nanny from China to help take care of daughter, Mia.
This is a character-driven novel that shows the emotional impact this wrong decision has on two families. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy Wakefield (the woman who raises someone else's baby), Mia (the former baby), and the birth mother, Marilyn.
I loved this book and felt sorry for both women in this story. Nobody wins.
But without giving any spoilers…their lives will cross and never be the same.
This was a very satisfying read full of mystery twists and surprise.
I wish to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2017
Lucy Wakefield wanted a baby for as long as she could remember. She was put on this earth to be a mother. That was her dream. Lucy and her husband had gotten pregnant when they were in college together, but they felt that it just wasn't the right time to start a family. Needless to say, the decision was made for them when Lucy lost the baby. Lucy prayed that the chance to have a baby would come again. Years later, Lucy and her husband kept trying and failing to have a baby. Lucy tried IVF, but to no avail, nothing worked. A friend of Lucy's told her, "if you visualize it, it will come," and so Lucy set up a nursery in their home. Upon seeing this, her husband left her, thinking "you would have been enough for me, but I will never be enough for you."
After her husband left her, Lucy threw herself into her work and pretty soon her obsession and need for a baby lifted, until she went to IKEA...
"I knew what I was doing was wrong according to law, but what I was doing felt right , according to the laws of nature."
Lucy was walking up and down the aisles of IKEA, doing research for an advertising campaign she was working on, and she came upon a baby left unattended. Lucy only wanted to make sure the baby was safe..
Wow, this book was something else! It started off strong, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen with Lucy and the baby. Then other characters were introduced, and I realized as I often do in books like this, that I liked hearing from some characters better than others. I also felt that this book was unrealistic. However, if you can get past the fact that it is a bit unrealistic, then this would be a good book for you. I also think this would be a great movie!
After her husband left her, Lucy threw herself into her work and pretty soon her obsession and need for a baby lifted, until she went to IKEA...
"I knew what I was doing was wrong according to law, but what I was doing felt right , according to the laws of nature."
Lucy was walking up and down the aisles of IKEA, doing research for an advertising campaign she was working on, and she came upon a baby left unattended. Lucy only wanted to make sure the baby was safe..
Wow, this book was something else! It started off strong, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen with Lucy and the baby. Then other characters were introduced, and I realized as I often do in books like this, that I liked hearing from some characters better than others. I also felt that this book was unrealistic. However, if you can get past the fact that it is a bit unrealistic, then this would be a good book for you. I also think this would be a great movie!
September 11, 2018
Oh my. What have I just done to myself. This was so emotional.
It’s a child that’s been kidnapped, I’ve read plots over and over until I need to take a break at times BUT THIS ONE, you kinda forget about the kidnapping.
It’s been 20 years.
The chapters are owned by several of the main characters and you just simply get inside they’re heads, their hearts their emotions.
I was bounced from pillar to post.
The biological mom
The mom who wants a baby so bad
The child grown
The finding out.
Of course I knew she committed a crime. An unforgettable unforgivable crime on a mother and family plus the child themselves.
The thing is, I could also feel for the woman who brought her up.
This story is not black and white and the ending will floor you.
It’s a child that’s been kidnapped, I’ve read plots over and over until I need to take a break at times BUT THIS ONE, you kinda forget about the kidnapping.
It’s been 20 years.
The chapters are owned by several of the main characters and you just simply get inside they’re heads, their hearts their emotions.
I was bounced from pillar to post.
The biological mom
The mom who wants a baby so bad
The child grown
The finding out.
Of course I knew she committed a crime. An unforgettable unforgivable crime on a mother and family plus the child themselves.
The thing is, I could also feel for the woman who brought her up.
This story is not black and white and the ending will floor you.
July 19, 2019
100% an excellent page turner. Lucy Wakefield takes a baby girl from a shopping cart in IKEA. She takes the baby home and keeps the baby girl by changing the baby's name to Mia. One fatal day Mia in her twenties discovers that she was stolen as a baby and is reunited with her real birth mother. But who will Mia think as her mum? I highly recommend reading Someone Else's Child as it is a very moving story twisted with maternal love. I am so glad that I bought my own copy of this book as it has been worth every penny.
December 21, 2015
What a wonderful book! Full of emotion! I am sad I finished it!
January 11, 2017
My emotions were all over the place with this book. Tragic all around. I really liked how you're able to get everyone's POV. Excellent book.
July 6, 2018
Lucy Wakefield finds 4-month old Natalie Featherstone unattended in a shopping cart in a superstore in suburban New Jersey. In a split second, she makes a decision that will forever change the lives of so many people.
I wanted to hate Lucy and I did. While the heat of that emotion dimmed some after getting to know her better, I never could reconcile how one woman can decide her pain means more than another woman's. How can your desire for a child make it okay to take someone else's baby who's obviously cared for and loved?
This story wrecked me as we're given extraordinary insight into the wide-ranging impact of a baby abduction, short and long term. My emotional upset only intensified once baby Natalie-now-adult Mia learns the truth. Now what? There's not much that's predictable here and some really important themes run rampant...motherhood, grief, forgiveness, family, loyalty, justice.
While the beginning felt a little slow paced, it subtly lays the foundation for what comes next and becomes very important. My recommendation is to just be patient because it all matters. This story is fascinating and provocative, ideal for book clubs and online group discussions. I'm encouraging my friends to read it now so I can talk about it...NOW! My only complaint is the ending...I wanted just a little bit more but I think the author got it right, despite my feelings. There are no easy resolutions in these situations.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
I wanted to hate Lucy and I did. While the heat of that emotion dimmed some after getting to know her better, I never could reconcile how one woman can decide her pain means more than another woman's. How can your desire for a child make it okay to take someone else's baby who's obviously cared for and loved?
This story wrecked me as we're given extraordinary insight into the wide-ranging impact of a baby abduction, short and long term. My emotional upset only intensified once baby Natalie-now-adult Mia learns the truth. Now what? There's not much that's predictable here and some really important themes run rampant...motherhood, grief, forgiveness, family, loyalty, justice.
While the beginning felt a little slow paced, it subtly lays the foundation for what comes next and becomes very important. My recommendation is to just be patient because it all matters. This story is fascinating and provocative, ideal for book clubs and online group discussions. I'm encouraging my friends to read it now so I can talk about it...NOW! My only complaint is the ending...I wanted just a little bit more but I think the author got it right, despite my feelings. There are no easy resolutions in these situations.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
February 10, 2018
What Was Mine is a story about the kidnapping of a baby girl in an IKEA store in New Jersey, and the repercussions of this action for all involved - the baby, Natalie (Mia), the kidnapper, Lucy, and the baby’s parents, Tom and Marilyn.
This story is told in varying first person POVs, mostly told by Mia, Lucy, and Marilyn, but there were many smaller characters who also played roles. The chapters were very short, and as the story picked up, I found myself unable to put it down at certain points. I was eager to continue reading to see what would happen to each of the characters and how this story would play out.
The ending is left somewhat open-ended but not completely, so I wasn’t dissatisfied with it. If you’re looking for a fairly fast-paced read that will have you thinking about an unimaginable situation and its long-lasting impact on multiple people (not just one person), I recommend reading What Was Mine.
This story is told in varying first person POVs, mostly told by Mia, Lucy, and Marilyn, but there were many smaller characters who also played roles. The chapters were very short, and as the story picked up, I found myself unable to put it down at certain points. I was eager to continue reading to see what would happen to each of the characters and how this story would play out.
The ending is left somewhat open-ended but not completely, so I wasn’t dissatisfied with it. If you’re looking for a fairly fast-paced read that will have you thinking about an unimaginable situation and its long-lasting impact on multiple people (not just one person), I recommend reading What Was Mine.
January 16, 2018
What was Mine was told through multiple perspectives in short chapters. Not a lot of surprises in this one. Instead, it showed how the kidnapping effected everyone including Lucy herself. The subject matter is probably not for everyone. As a mom, this story was scary and thought provoking. I desired more from the ending but all in all this book made for an interesting narrative and worth the read.
August 29, 2016
The overall story was definitely intriguing and well thought out, but I think the author's execution of the plot was a bit overworked. I felt like Ross could've left some details to the reader's imagination, instead of over describing some situations, feelings, etc. The simple writing style allowed for a quick read, but I would've appreciated a more cultivated level of fiction.
October 20, 2015
This book started out as a story in 2000. The narrative sprung from my own deep-seated fear of having a baby kidnapped. I have two daughters, and when they were little, I'd be shopping, crouching in front of a grocery story shelf, trying decide between brands of soup, say, and suddenly realize I'd forgotten about my toddler and baby in the shopping cart behind me. I'd quick turn around and they'd always be there. But what if, one day, they weren't?
This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy Wakefield (the woman who raises someone else's baby as her own), Mia (the former baby), Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. Minor characters include: Shanghai, Ikea in Elizabeth and The Gilmore Girls.
This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy Wakefield (the woman who raises someone else's baby as her own), Mia (the former baby), Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. Minor characters include: Shanghai, Ikea in Elizabeth and The Gilmore Girls.
December 17, 2015
What kind of a woman kidnaps a baby from a store while the mother's back is turned? And then goes on to lovingly raise the child for the next 21 years?
"What Was Mine" explores the nightmare of child abduction through the point-of-view of the abductor (Lucy), mother (Marilyn), father (Tom), nanny (Wendy) who helps raise the child (unaware of the crime committed), and the child (Mia) herself. The book is engaging and highly readable. I zoomed through the pages in just a couple of days wanting to know what might happen next. What makes this unique, is the depth of the characters. Rather than strictly rely on the pacing and "thrill" factor, Helen Klein Ross crafts utterly real and believable characters who change over time, and whose thoughts and behaviors aren't strictly black and white. In particular, I loved the slow transformation of Marilyn from harried first-time mom in NJ, to a wisened CA earthy mother.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"What Was Mine" explores the nightmare of child abduction through the point-of-view of the abductor (Lucy), mother (Marilyn), father (Tom), nanny (Wendy) who helps raise the child (unaware of the crime committed), and the child (Mia) herself. The book is engaging and highly readable. I zoomed through the pages in just a couple of days wanting to know what might happen next. What makes this unique, is the depth of the characters. Rather than strictly rely on the pacing and "thrill" factor, Helen Klein Ross crafts utterly real and believable characters who change over time, and whose thoughts and behaviors aren't strictly black and white. In particular, I loved the slow transformation of Marilyn from harried first-time mom in NJ, to a wisened CA earthy mother.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2016
3.5stars: From the beginning, the reader knows that Lucy took a baby at an IKEA store, raises the baby, and gets caught after 21 years. How can a novel who’s ending is told at the beginning be a compelling and engrossing novel? Author Helen Ross writes with absorbing short chapters, from different character’s point-of-view, in a style that leaves the reader wanting more. It’s a compulsive read that renders the reader with conflicting emotions.
Lucy takes a baby; kidnaps a baby. Lucy should be a demon, right? Yet Ross writes her character with complexity that leaves the reader ambivalent. It’s every parent’s nightmare: your child is stolen from you. Marilyn, the birth mother, is written with compassion. Every mother who reads this will feel Marilyn’s feelings. All the characters that were duped by Lucy, especially Lucy’s sister Cheryl, feel conflicting emotions. The style of writing short chapters with differing points of view make this a riveting read.
I devoured this in a day. Knowing that Lucy is going to get caught is not the same as knowing HOW she gets caught. How she gets caught, for me, was a weak link in the story, yet not enough for me to slow down reading. And, the conflicting feelings of Mia, the baby who was stolen, is done expertly. Ross did her research.
Although it sounds like a horrifying read, it is not. It’s an interesting read of the emotions involved with differing characters. It is domestic fiction at it’s finest. I hope Ross writes more novels. I want to give a hearty thanks to the GR friend Esil and Debbie who recommended this novel. It’s a fantastic summer read.
Lucy takes a baby; kidnaps a baby. Lucy should be a demon, right? Yet Ross writes her character with complexity that leaves the reader ambivalent. It’s every parent’s nightmare: your child is stolen from you. Marilyn, the birth mother, is written with compassion. Every mother who reads this will feel Marilyn’s feelings. All the characters that were duped by Lucy, especially Lucy’s sister Cheryl, feel conflicting emotions. The style of writing short chapters with differing points of view make this a riveting read.
I devoured this in a day. Knowing that Lucy is going to get caught is not the same as knowing HOW she gets caught. How she gets caught, for me, was a weak link in the story, yet not enough for me to slow down reading. And, the conflicting feelings of Mia, the baby who was stolen, is done expertly. Ross did her research.
Although it sounds like a horrifying read, it is not. It’s an interesting read of the emotions involved with differing characters. It is domestic fiction at it’s finest. I hope Ross writes more novels. I want to give a hearty thanks to the GR friend Esil and Debbie who recommended this novel. It’s a fantastic summer read.
March 15, 2016
Rating 4.5
Excellent read, a definite page turner! In efforts not to spoil the book for other readers, What Was Mine gave me just the amount of crazy and WTH's that I enjoy when reading a book of this nature. Although the subject matter is any parents worst nightmare, I thoroughly enjoyed how the author somehow made me as a reader feel empathy for Lucy. At times I was angry with Marilyn but I also felt sorry for her. My emotions were all over the place which is the recipe for a good read for me. The only thing that kept my rating from being 5 stars is that I did not like the way the book ended. I wanted more!! On the up side maybe there will be a sequel because this story can definitely evolve!
Excellent read, a definite page turner! In efforts not to spoil the book for other readers, What Was Mine gave me just the amount of crazy and WTH's that I enjoy when reading a book of this nature. Although the subject matter is any parents worst nightmare, I thoroughly enjoyed how the author somehow made me as a reader feel empathy for Lucy. At times I was angry with Marilyn but I also felt sorry for her. My emotions were all over the place which is the recipe for a good read for me. The only thing that kept my rating from being 5 stars is that I did not like the way the book ended. I wanted more!! On the up side maybe there will be a sequel because this story can definitely evolve!
May 1, 2016
It sucked you up into the story and obsession immediately. And uses the current switching narrator method within tiny chapters that is so much the rage. It works here. The tension is high.
And yet I am appalled overall at my own reaction. Because during the first 3/4ths of the novel I was invested to motives, feelings, rationalizations, movements to obscure locations by relocating etc.
Why? I really don't know why. Possibly because the 3 main woman characters seemed like "nice" ladies?
What I do know is that this book makes a credible case for stealing a baby out of an IKEA while the baby's biological mother is shopping and distracted. With 21 more years to follow for reasons not to bring her back.
This is chick lit. that is skillful. Skillful enough to make the anguish for the bereft parents become secondary to the emotional connections to the kidnapper for the reader. Why am I not surprised at the seemingly forgivable justification for obtaining her centrally perceived need? It happens all the time when people cross laws to get what they think they deserve and need. But I still am shocked at how people, mostly women themselves, perceive this book. All methods of other peoples' noses being the limit of my own swinging fist being part of my heritage and essential makeup, I guess. I wonder how they would feel if someone never returned their baby until they were an adult.
This will sell, I'm sure. The writing pulled you in and that is why I gave it 3 stars. But I don't think I would read any more by this author. I'm sure I won't. The more I think about this one, the sicker it is. By not acting or behaving to be sick in its reality, but instead by heralding as core the meek and cuddly perpetrator supreme. Yes, it's very sick. And sicker yet, for being sick disguised.
And the ending! Repulsive. 2.5 stars and I should have rounded it down.
And yet I am appalled overall at my own reaction. Because during the first 3/4ths of the novel I was invested to motives, feelings, rationalizations, movements to obscure locations by relocating etc.
Why? I really don't know why. Possibly because the 3 main woman characters seemed like "nice" ladies?
What I do know is that this book makes a credible case for stealing a baby out of an IKEA while the baby's biological mother is shopping and distracted. With 21 more years to follow for reasons not to bring her back.
This is chick lit. that is skillful. Skillful enough to make the anguish for the bereft parents become secondary to the emotional connections to the kidnapper for the reader. Why am I not surprised at the seemingly forgivable justification for obtaining her centrally perceived need? It happens all the time when people cross laws to get what they think they deserve and need. But I still am shocked at how people, mostly women themselves, perceive this book. All methods of other peoples' noses being the limit of my own swinging fist being part of my heritage and essential makeup, I guess. I wonder how they would feel if someone never returned their baby until they were an adult.
This will sell, I'm sure. The writing pulled you in and that is why I gave it 3 stars. But I don't think I would read any more by this author. I'm sure I won't. The more I think about this one, the sicker it is. By not acting or behaving to be sick in its reality, but instead by heralding as core the meek and cuddly perpetrator supreme. Yes, it's very sick. And sicker yet, for being sick disguised.
And the ending! Repulsive. 2.5 stars and I should have rounded it down.
March 16, 2020
I must say I was surprised by this book. I thought it would be interesting but I was surprised because it was a beautiful story. The way it was written was lovely, showing the emotions of everyone involved in this crime where a woman steals a baby from an Ikea story and keeps her unfound for 21 years. It shows the emotions of this woman, the baby/girl who was stolen. The parents of the stolen baby and family members involved. And how love and understanding help to heal these people and their relationships. I definitely recommend if you want something emotional and uplifting.
August 6, 2019
One woman, Lucy, is devastated to learn she is unable to have a baby. She is consumed to the point of insanity, if only for a moment. One women, Marilyn, has a baby. She has taken her for granted, if only for a moment. One little girl, Mia/Natalie caught in between. Leading to the consequences left in the wake of that one moment.
This is a very good book all in all. The beginning is well done, going back and forth between the lives of Lucy and Marilyn after that one fateful moment in time following the abduction of baby girl, Mia/Natalie.
The middle was filled out nicely with Lucy and Mia living a seemingly normal life together. The pace is fast and full of suspense and I nearly read it in one sitting.
Unfortunately, the ending was very disappointing. All three of the moving parts of the story come together with a solid start to the conclusion of the book. The realization and truth of Lucy's secret comes to light. Mia discovers that her life with her mom, Lucy, is not what it seemed. And Marilyn finally gets her wish that her baby girl returns to her, even if it's after she's all grown up.
The ending was very disappointing for me, which is a shame because the book had such promise! Having said that, this also a debut novel so it's encouraging for future novels by Helen Klein Ross.
I don't want to discourage anyone from reading it as this is, after all, only my opinion. Many others may really enjoy it.
This is a very good book all in all. The beginning is well done, going back and forth between the lives of Lucy and Marilyn after that one fateful moment in time following the abduction of baby girl, Mia/Natalie.
The middle was filled out nicely with Lucy and Mia living a seemingly normal life together. The pace is fast and full of suspense and I nearly read it in one sitting.
Unfortunately, the ending was very disappointing. All three of the moving parts of the story come together with a solid start to the conclusion of the book. The realization and truth of Lucy's secret comes to light. Mia discovers that her life with her mom, Lucy, is not what it seemed. And Marilyn finally gets her wish that her baby girl returns to her, even if it's after she's all grown up.
The ending was very disappointing for me, which is a shame because the book had such promise! Having said that, this also a debut novel so it's encouraging for future novels by Helen Klein Ross.
I don't want to discourage anyone from reading it as this is, after all, only my opinion. Many others may really enjoy it.
December 15, 2015
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book offered such an original idea and fresh perspective. What Was Mine had me up and reading at 4am. As a parent, reading a book about a baby’s kidnapping is always unsettling. Most of us have experienced at least one brief moment of terror when our eyes weren’t quick enough in their search for our children. Most of us are lucky enough to have feeling quickly replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief when, in short order, we realize he/she had been right there all along, just an arm’s length away. Marilyn was not that lucky.
Lucy had been trying for a baby for quite a while when she was married. Now she has a bit of an obsession with Ikea. There she finds a baby whose mother has turned her back for just a few seconds too many. She kidnaps said baby but deludes herself into thinking that at some point soon she’ll find a way to return her. She’s in denial of her actions and the severity of the consequences which I found to be a little infuriating. She is a woman we would expect to know better – professional, no other implied behavioral health issues or criminal tendencies… She raises Mia as her own for 21 years until Lucy learns the truth through a series of serendipitous coincidences and events.
One thing I loved about this book is that it’s not meant to be a mystery. There’s no whodunnit. We know right out the gate what’s happened. What we don’t know is where it leaves everyone in their relationships. Will Marilyn be able to forgive Lucy? Could she ever accept that Mia may feel anything other than hatred toward Lucy? Will Mia ever feel as though she belongs with her birth family? Can her siblings accept her? Will Mia ever be able to feel secure in her sense of identity? The author really gets to the heart of the matter by telling us the story through the eyes of many of the characters including Lucy, Marilyn, Mia, Lucy’s sister, Mia’s nanny, and others. The pieces of the puzzle put themselves together perfectly through these narratives.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this book 5 stars is the ending. It was rather abrupt and didn’t give me a sense of being fully complete. I would be surprised if this book doesn’t become a very popular read, even a best-seller in 2016.
My rating: 4.5 stars (Rounded up here as Goodreads doesn't allow for 1/2 stars.)
Many thanks to Gallery books via NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
www.litwitwineanddine.com
Lucy had been trying for a baby for quite a while when she was married. Now she has a bit of an obsession with Ikea. There she finds a baby whose mother has turned her back for just a few seconds too many. She kidnaps said baby but deludes herself into thinking that at some point soon she’ll find a way to return her. She’s in denial of her actions and the severity of the consequences which I found to be a little infuriating. She is a woman we would expect to know better – professional, no other implied behavioral health issues or criminal tendencies… She raises Mia as her own for 21 years until Lucy learns the truth through a series of serendipitous coincidences and events.
One thing I loved about this book is that it’s not meant to be a mystery. There’s no whodunnit. We know right out the gate what’s happened. What we don’t know is where it leaves everyone in their relationships. Will Marilyn be able to forgive Lucy? Could she ever accept that Mia may feel anything other than hatred toward Lucy? Will Mia ever feel as though she belongs with her birth family? Can her siblings accept her? Will Mia ever be able to feel secure in her sense of identity? The author really gets to the heart of the matter by telling us the story through the eyes of many of the characters including Lucy, Marilyn, Mia, Lucy’s sister, Mia’s nanny, and others. The pieces of the puzzle put themselves together perfectly through these narratives.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this book 5 stars is the ending. It was rather abrupt and didn’t give me a sense of being fully complete. I would be surprised if this book doesn’t become a very popular read, even a best-seller in 2016.
My rating: 4.5 stars (Rounded up here as Goodreads doesn't allow for 1/2 stars.)
Many thanks to Gallery books via NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
www.litwitwineanddine.com
November 8, 2015
This is a book that is difficult to review. As a parent, I would never wish upon any parent to go through the trauma that Tom and Marilyn endured. The loss/kidnapping of an infant (or any child) is every parent's nightmare. To have that child stolen from you and be raised by another - a horrible and most despicable act.
I think that what struck me with this book is the fact that the kidnapper Lucy justified her crime using all sorts of excuses. The baby's mother was neglectful and left the child alone in a shopping cart, the child reacted to her, etc. But nowhere did she think of the child's best interests - only her yearning for a baby. Lucy was a good caregiver; baby Mia did not lack for anything. Lucy told her sister and co-workers that she adopted Mia from a teenage mom from Kansas. She rarely saw her own family and did not have many friends from outside work.
Lies do have a way of catching up and Marilyn learns of Mia's existence. She establishes contact and Mia learns about Lucy's deception. Lucy leaves the country on a business trip to China (no extradition laws). Mia goes to San Mateo to be with her birth mother's family.
This book raises all sorts of ethical issues. While Lucy committed a most heinous crime, could Mia put her in prison for life? What about restitution for Mia's birth parents? How does one integrate a "lost" child back into a family? Mia's birth mother Marilyn was a little too "granola" for me, focusing on chi, astrology, and yoga (not that there is anything wrong with those things, lol).
I do have one criticism of the book. The ending is way too abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more closure for all involved.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for a review copy of this book.
I think that what struck me with this book is the fact that the kidnapper Lucy justified her crime using all sorts of excuses. The baby's mother was neglectful and left the child alone in a shopping cart, the child reacted to her, etc. But nowhere did she think of the child's best interests - only her yearning for a baby. Lucy was a good caregiver; baby Mia did not lack for anything. Lucy told her sister and co-workers that she adopted Mia from a teenage mom from Kansas. She rarely saw her own family and did not have many friends from outside work.
Lies do have a way of catching up and Marilyn learns of Mia's existence. She establishes contact and Mia learns about Lucy's deception. Lucy leaves the country on a business trip to China (no extradition laws). Mia goes to San Mateo to be with her birth mother's family.
This book raises all sorts of ethical issues. While Lucy committed a most heinous crime, could Mia put her in prison for life? What about restitution for Mia's birth parents? How does one integrate a "lost" child back into a family? Mia's birth mother Marilyn was a little too "granola" for me, focusing on chi, astrology, and yoga (not that there is anything wrong with those things, lol).
I do have one criticism of the book. The ending is way too abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more closure for all involved.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for a review copy of this book.
March 3, 2016
It was hard to choose between 4-5 stars for this one. I turned the pages quickly, engrossed in the story told from the perspectives of Mia, Lucy & Marilyn. Baby Natalie is taken from her Mother's shopping cart and raised lovingly by Lucy. It was strange that I could empathize with Lucy even though she kidnapped Natalie.
I was interested to read this book, as this could have been my story as a toddler. My parents had taken me Christmas shopping when I was 18 months old. My Mom let me out of the cart to see what toys I might like. She turned to attend to my baby brother, and I toddled around the corner of the aisle. When she realized I wasn't near, she and my Dad frantically searched for me. My Mom saw a woman running for the front doors of the store with me in her arms. Thankfully my Mom caught up to her, and grabbed me from her. My Mom left her cart full of presents, and she said she couldn't even begin to indentify the woman, she was so rattled by the attempted abduction.
My favorite quote from this book is "When you forgive, the prisoner you set free is yourself" this is a story of forgivenes, and one I recommend. I was pleased with the ending.
I was interested to read this book, as this could have been my story as a toddler. My parents had taken me Christmas shopping when I was 18 months old. My Mom let me out of the cart to see what toys I might like. She turned to attend to my baby brother, and I toddled around the corner of the aisle. When she realized I wasn't near, she and my Dad frantically searched for me. My Mom saw a woman running for the front doors of the store with me in her arms. Thankfully my Mom caught up to her, and grabbed me from her. My Mom left her cart full of presents, and she said she couldn't even begin to indentify the woman, she was so rattled by the attempted abduction.
My favorite quote from this book is "When you forgive, the prisoner you set free is yourself" this is a story of forgivenes, and one I recommend. I was pleased with the ending.
September 30, 2016
Engaging read. Ross does a wonderful job allowing the reader to examine the ethics behind a horrendous decision. I liked the theme of restorative justice, and the fact that she challenges the reader by showing how each character is affected by the crime - and is it acceptable? Good can come from an unimaginable event, without denying the horror of the crime, and this book shows that. I was satisfied with the ending, not only because it was open ended, but because I could understand Mia's decision - she was doing to the best of her ability what she thought was best.
Ironically, however, Mia was the hardest one I found to connect with. I just couldn't grasp her voice - she definitely sounded younger than 21, which contributed to her one-dimensional nature. She just seemed off to me.
Overall, if you like books that challenge your ethics and emotions, this one fits the bill.
Ironically, however, Mia was the hardest one I found to connect with. I just couldn't grasp her voice - she definitely sounded younger than 21, which contributed to her one-dimensional nature. She just seemed off to me.
Overall, if you like books that challenge your ethics and emotions, this one fits the bill.
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