“Greenwood’s glowing dark ruby of a novel brilliantly transforms the true crime story that inspired Nabokov’s Lolita. Shatteringly original and eloquently written….So ferociously suspenseful, I found myself holding my breath.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of YouCamden, NJ, 1948. When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth’s, she … from the local Woolworth’s, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says.
This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way.
Based on the experiences of real-life kidnapping victim Sally Horner and her captor, whose story shocked the nation and inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write his controversial and iconic Lolita, this heart-pounding story by award-winning author T. Greenwood at last gives a voice to Sally herself.
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A harrowing, ripped-from-the-headlines story of lives altered in the blink of an eye, once again proving her eloquence and dexterity as an author.
This story is based on the 1948 kidnapping of eleven year old Sally Horner from Camden NJ, by mechanic Frank LaSalle. The book is very well written and grabs your attention. I couldn’t put it down but it is a very heartbreaking story. Poor little Sally endured such horrible things that no child should ever know about.
One of the best books I have read in a long time . It was hard to read at times, (sad), but wow, this book had me hooked from the first chapter!!
Greenwood’s glowing dark ruby of a novel brilliantly transforms the true crime story that inspired Nabokov’s Lolita. Shatteringly original and eloquently written, Rust and Stardust is a lot about how what we believe to be true can shape or ruin a life, and the bright lure of innocence pitted against the murk of evil. So ferociously suspenseful, I found myself holding my breath, and so gorgeous and so unsettling in all the roads it might have taken, I kept rereading pages.
A riveting and thoughtful exploration of how the dark secrets of a terrible crime affect and hurt so many―and how light and hope persist in the face of such horrors. Greenwood writes with such compassion and feeling, and she is such a confident, skillful storyteller, that you’ll stay up late to find out the fates of her memorable, beautiful characters.
There is no way around this, Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood is completely disturbing and it will trigger all sorts of emotions.
What it’s about: All Sally Horner wants is to fit in with the girls at school. She is full of questions and so smart, but she can also be very quiet and rather introverted. Because of this, the other girls see her as weird and different. One day she gets dared by a group of girls at school to steal something from the Woolworth’s and if she does she gets to be a part of their pack. Sally ends up getting caught by a man who says he is with the FBI and if she does exactly what he says, she won’t get in trouble for stealing. The rest of the book is what happens next as 11-year-old Sally is kidnapped by a middle-aged Frank La Salle and moved around the country on his whims.
Thanks to social media I found out this is based on a true story, but prior to learning that I had never heard of Sally Horner, nor have I read Lolita which is also based on this real life abduction. This fictional retelling of her story was very hard to read. Even though Greenwood does a good job of not going into excessive detail about what happens, the truth of the matter is hard to swallow.
I really enjoyed Greenwood’s writing, although some details felt a little much at times (not regarding the actual assaults against Sally though). There are multiple viewpoints which I enjoyed, but there probably could have been fewer viewpoints and more from just Sally, her mom and her sister. I think Greenwood did a great job of helping us envision what family goes through after a tragedy like this, and what could have been going on in the mind of Sally during the time she was gone.
Final Thought: Rust & Stardust is a very tough read and I was very frustrated by a lot of what happened, but I think it is an important book that most people are really going to appreciate. I can’t say I loved it due to the topic, but Greenwood’s writing did a fantastic job of evoking a range of mixed emotions. My heart breaks for all the Sally Horners out there and I can only hope someday people like Frank La Salle no longer exist. I can dream right?
Wow! I read this intense novel that is based on a factual account beginning in 1948. in two days. I could not stop thinking about the main character named Sally Horner. It had me feeling anger, hate, sadness, and often in tears as I turned each page.
Sally, is a young girl who was taught by her mother to always be honest and respect adults.
Her only fault was was desperately wanting friends and to belong to a club.
In order to join this girls club, she was told she had to steal one item from the local Woolworth’s store in Camden, New Jersey.
The nightmare begins here as she is caught stealing and because of her honest nature, believes she needs to go to court with the man who says he works for the FBI and abducts her. She knows her mom will be disappointed in her and does not tell her what has happened.
This book was definitely well written and in great detail.
I got caught up in the journey of Sally, her new friends she met, and her family who were left in New Jersey to wonder where she was and continue to live their lives in the hope that Sally would soon return.
Rust & Stardust = serious book hangover! This story is based on the real life 1948 abduction of 11 year old Sally Horner by Frank LaSalle, a child molester, and it totally captivated me. It is one of those books that I couldn’t wait to finish but tried to pace myself because I didn’t want the story to end. Although this was a difficult story, T. Greenwood did an amazing job writing!
In 1948, 11 year old Sally was kidnapped by Frank, a convicted child molester, and forced to travel across the country with him for 2 horrific years. Rust & Stardust was based on the true story of the real Florence “Sally” Horner who was kidnapped from her home in Camden, New Jersey in 1948. Even though this story was dark, chilling, and heartbreaking, I do highly recommend it because it provided a much needed voice for the real life Sally and is extremely relevant for the current #MeToo movement.
This story transported me back in time to the simpler, more innocent era of the late 1940s when a trusting, naive mother and a gullible, young girl were taken advantage of by a horrible man. Unfortunately, Sally quickly learned the hard way that not everyone was kind and innocent. After successfully luring her away from her mother, he lied to her and abused her mentally, sexually, and physically while successfully evading the police and the FBI for two years.
How could this have happened? Why was (and often still is) it more important for a girl/woman to be “good” rather than “outspoken” and “smart?” Sally tried her best to make sense of Frank’s nonsensical lies, but society’s treatment of girls contributed to her naivete.
Here’s what I derived from the title … Life is a mix of rust, the bad, and stardust, the good.
Trigger Warning: Child molestation. For the most part, the acts were implied and not overly graphic in nature, but obviously, still disturbing.
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Location: New Jersey (Camden and Atlantic City), Maryland (Baltimore), Texas (Dallas), and California (San Jose).
Fun reading!!!
What was so scary about this book is that it is true. An evil monster, sexual predator ruined a young girl’s life and hurt her family. Very sad.
Heartbreaking story. I couldn’t put it down. Beautifully written.
I liked this book although i would have preferred a different ending. I did not find that it was very like Lolita. In that book the predator was in love with his victim which ultimately gave her power over him. That as not the case here, in fact he became increasingly violent toward her, especially as she started to grow up. Good read though, and the sex was not too graphic.
This Was awesome book. a real nail biter. read it – you won’t be sorry .
I really the book a lot but felt so sorry for Sally.
I could not put it down because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. What a tragic story.
A Must-ReAD! Heart breaking in so many ways but also so much we could learn. Sally is in my heart FOREVER!
Narration was really good! Therese Plummer did a fantastic job with many characters!
I was equally captivated & disgusted throughout most of this novel. This is a fictionalized account based on true events that took place 70 years ago.
As a mother, the thought that someone could hurt a child in such ways is horrifying and terrifying. As a reader, the story pulled me in and never let go. This book will keep you up at night-wondering, wishing, hoping-not only for the characters, but for every child (and their family) who is hurting….
Based on the true story of the kidnapping of Sally Horner and also the inspiration for Lolita.
A lyrical and haunting meditation on family, love, and survival, this novel―and Sally Horner―stayed with me long after I turned the last page.