“A nervy, soulful, genuinely surprising it-could-happen-to-you thriller — a book to make you peer over your shoulder for days afterwards.”–A.J. Finn, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, The Nowhere Child is screenwriter Christian White’s internationally bestselling debut thriller of psychological suspense about a woman … of psychological suspense about a woman uncovering devastating secrets about her family–and her very identity…
Kimberly Leamy is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. An American accountant who contacts Kim is convinced she was that child, kidnapped just after her birthday. She cannot believe the woman who raised her, a loving social worker who died of cancer four years ago, crossed international lines to steal a toddler.
On April 3rd, 1990, Jack and Molly Went’s daughter Sammy disappeared from the inside their Kentucky home. Already estranged since the girl’s birth, the couple drifted further apart as time passed. Jack did his best to raise and protect his other daughter and son while Molly found solace in her faith. The Church of the Light Within, a Pentecostal fundamentalist group who handle poisonous snakes as part of their worship, provided that faith. Without Sammy, the Wents eventually fell apart.
Now, with proof that she and Sammy are in fact the same person, Kim travels to America to reunite with a family she never knew she had. And to solve the mystery of her abduction–a mystery that will take her deep into the dark heart of religious fanaticism where she must fight for her life against those determined to save her soul…
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I read an advanced reading copy of THE NOWHERE CHILD and went into it skeptical … but within the first couple chapters I was hooked, and found the voice of the protagonist to be wholly addictive. It’s a dark story, but with a hope-filled ending (otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to endorse it — I don’t like unhappy endings.) But I’m not giving anything away, it’s certainly worth reading. I’m always skeptical of stories that move back and forth in time (past and present), but White masterfully floats between the past and present, clear markers with chapter breaks.
I offered this endorsement: “Compelling and intense … masterfully written to maximize suspense and lead us down a path of love, hate, redemption, and–ultimately–hope. The best debut novel I’ve read in years.”
What would you do if you found out from a stranger that he suspects you are a missing girl, named Sammy, who may have been abducted when you were two from another country? This is the basic premise of a book which is full of suspense and twists right until the end.
Kim Leamy is the woman who has been approached and after initially brushing off the idea, she begins a quest into her family history. Her mother is already dead so she can’t ask her and the more she questions the more difficult it is to find logical answers. Her digging takes her to unexpected places with almost disastrous outcomes.
I’d heard a bit of hype and had actually seen the author talking about his debut novel at a couple of events and after reading it, I was not disappointed.
It’s much more than a kidnapping and whodunit story as the author explores trauma, cults and religious zealotry. The alternating stories between past and present was superbly done and as a reader we feel Kim’s gradual realisation,her confusion and pain.
I finished this one in two days so immersed was I in it. Highly recommend it.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced page-turner this holiday season, this is a goodie. I enjoyed every moment, from go to whoah, and it was a bit of a whoah! Well worth the read.
The Nowhere Child has a good premise and an interesting way of telling it. Kimberly Leamy is approached by her long lost brother who informs her that she was abducted from their family in Kentucky when she was two-years-old. The novel then alternates between past and present, and in so doing reveals bits and pieces about the story. The reader knows that Kim is abducted but not how it happens and who does it. As a result, there was a fair build of intrigue along the way.
For the most part, I liked this novel, but I can’t say that I liked everything about the novel. I thought the writing was solid but not stellar. The characterization left a bit to be desired. I also wasn’t a big fan of the anti-religion sentiment in the novel. There was also a bit of a deus ex machina ending to it. Despite the negatives, the intrigue and tension were strong and kept me wanting to read to find out what was going to happen and how the story would unfold. On that basis, I would recommend this novel for readers who enjoy mystery and drama.
Carl Alves – author of Beyond the Shadow
Fast-paced, addictive, great voices. Fluctuates between the past and present with ease and clear markers. My only qualm was with the end — such a big build up just to be let down at the end. I felt as though I was given almost everything, but not quite. So disappointing to finish a book I devoured like this one with a weak ending. Otherwise, fantastic read. Can’t wait to read his second book.
I loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves books about crazy cults and kidnapping. It was full of weird twists and turns and the author gives a very different ending than the one expected. Well worth reading.
I do not recommend this book. Language was over the top, bad language, that is. Not great writing, either. No redeeming factors, in short.
I found this one rather intriguing. It slowed down about 20% through the book and then picks up a few chapters later. I feel like if it had maintained the pacing then this would have been 5 stars but as it is it isn’t quite there. Some bits were a little predictable. Still well worth a read though.
I’d read White’s second novel before this one but was just as captivated by this story, although the plot was vastly different. He is a real storyteller who has the ability to reveal the plot twist in the most unexpected way. A great story.
Full of twists and turns, this book has the perfect mix of suspense and drama. While it followed the typical plotline of a great psychological work, it had its own unique aspects. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I will say that this book will keep you guessing. Just when you think you know who the bad guy is, you’ll have the rug yanked out from underneath your feet. The author was inspired by Gillian Flynn to write this piece and it shows.
Since I listened to the audiobook, I also got to hear Katherine Littrell’s smooth narration.
Fantastic story. Recommended to all Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, and Mary Kubica fans.
Holy twists and turns. A 2-year-old goes missing and a brother never gives up hope that she will be found. He follows clues, hunts people down, and questions everything until he follows the right path and meets Kim Leamy who ends up being his long-lost sister Sammy. That is just the beginning. Kim returns to the US after living with her family in Australia and the lies begin to unravel. The truth starts to come out but what she learns doesn’t even seem real.
This is a book where there are good guys and bad guys. Sometimes the lines are blurred and I was not always sure that I was getting the entire truth from anyone. I doubted so many stories, I wanted to disbelieve some that were the truth, and believed some that weren’t so true. With each piece of Kim’s life that falls into place, another puzzle comes to light. Who took her? Why did they take her?
Oh My Gosh…. I was so enthralled with Christian White’s book. I couldn’t stop reading, I kept guessing, I kept putting pieces together hoping that what I was figuring out couldn’t be what really happens. Pick up this book, read this story. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good suspense novel that is full of twists and turns.
3-3.5 stars.
This book has a really interesting premise. Imagine you are approached at work one night by a stranger that tries to tell you that you are a long lost kidnapped child. How would you react? Would you immediately discount the stranger, or would you stop and wonder, could this actually be real? This is exactly what happens to Kim Leamy.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between the past and present chapters. Each chapter in the past slowly moves the reader through what happened the day that 2 year old Sammy Went goes missing. Then we are taken back to present day and going along for the ride as Kim Leamy travels to the US to meet a family she never knew about.
Mr. White does a great job of layering multiple things throughout this book. On the one hand, there is Kim Leamy, a woman who doesn’t really seem to fit in anywhere, even in her own family. She felt like a ship out at sea that has a broken rudder and can’t seem to steer itself in any one direction. In the past chapters, there is Sammy Went’s family, who all seem to have secrets they are hiding away. Some pretty big ones, that I have to admit, I couldn’t wait to see get blown wide open. Then back in the present, we have an older group of Sammy Went’s family that Kim/Sammy is trying to get to know and accept. And interspersed throughout all of it, is the Pentecostal Fundamentalist church in which Sammy’s mother Molly is a devoted follower. Exactly how devoted is she?
I must admit, I very much enjoyed the past chapters the best. Getting to meet each of the players, finding out what their secrets are, and ultimately building up to the big reveal of exactly what happened almost 30 years ago was thrilling. The present chapters? They were not that interesting to me. I think this was because I couldn’t form a connection at all with Kim. She came across to me as a very 2D character. I felt no depth or emotion from her. Everyone around her was being emotional for her, it felt like. I understand her character is someone who is not overly emotional in the first place, but I just didn’t connect with her.
The ending is very exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat, until it wasn’t. I felt like I built up all this anxiety and excitement to find out the truth, and then it is revealed and all my feelings just kind of fizzled out, like air leaving a leaking balloon. It all felt anti-climatic to me, so that was a bit of a let down. I wanted to know “what happens next?” and we don’t really get that. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I didn’t get that happily ever after that helps me to feel a story is complete.
I am sure this book is going to be very successful, based on early reviews I’m seeing. It is a very engaging story, particularly the past chapters as I mentioned above. I’m hearing rumors that it has already been optioned for a movie? Not sure how true that is, but if so, I would buy a ticket and watch it.
A unique premise, where a photographer living in Melbourne is approached by an accountant from Kentucky citing proof she’s the 2 year old kidnapped girl from his home town.
What follows is a riveting page turner where secrets are revealed and the reader is left guessing until the end.
Thoroughly enjoyed and devoured this.
This is a great book, the first by this author, it is packed with so many twists and turns and moves seamlessly between past and present. It is a thought provoking book about the dark threads of childhood memories. The twist at the end I never saw coming, but was so skilfully foretold from page one. I would recommend this book to anyone.