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The Stolen Child
An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate in this moving, page-turning novel from “a gifted storyteller” (People).
For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands—and disappeared. In 1974, with only months left to live, Nick enlists Jenny, a college dropout desperate for adventure, to help him unravel the mystery. The journey leads them from Paris galleries and provincial towns to a surprising place: the Museum of Tears, the life’s work of a lonely Italian craftsman. Determined to find the baby and the artist, hopeless romantic Jenny and curmudgeonly Nick must reckon with regret, betrayal, and the lives they’ve left behind.
With characteristic warmth and verve, Ann Hood captures a world of possibility and romance through the eyes of a young woman learning to claim her place in it. The Stolen Child is an engaging, timeless novel of secrets, love lost and found, and the nature of forgiveness.
For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands—and disappeared. In 1974, with only months left to live, Nick enlists Jenny, a college dropout desperate for adventure, to help him unravel the mystery. The journey leads them from Paris galleries and provincial towns to a surprising place: the Museum of Tears, the life’s work of a lonely Italian craftsman. Determined to find the baby and the artist, hopeless romantic Jenny and curmudgeonly Nick must reckon with regret, betrayal, and the lives they’ve left behind.
With characteristic warmth and verve, Ann Hood captures a world of possibility and romance through the eyes of a young woman learning to claim her place in it. The Stolen Child is an engaging, timeless novel of secrets, love lost and found, and the nature of forgiveness.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
239 people are currently reading
11055 people want to read
About the author
Ann Hood
72 books1,271 followersAnn Hood is the editor of Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting and the bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most, The Knitting Circle, The Red Thread, Comfort, and An Italian Wife, among other works. She is the recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, a Best American Food Writing Award, a Best American Travel Writing Award, and the Paul Bowles Prize for Short Fiction. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews
June 24, 2024
This amazingly drawn historical, touched my heart. It starts in France, during the First World War, and ends many years later in Italy. There are two different storylines, and at first I couldn’t see how they intersected, but eventually it becomes clear.
Nick is a man whom is haunted by something he did during the war. Now that he is ever closer to death, he has a need to find out the final result of what he did. He hires a young woman, Jenny to help him in his quest. As they travel from France to Italy, we find out more of the story.
Ghosts of the past, but a new future for one. Terrific characters, and a wonderful, heartfelt story. A happy, sad ending that had me in tears.
The audio narration was excellent.
Nick is a man whom is haunted by something he did during the war. Now that he is ever closer to death, he has a need to find out the final result of what he did. He hires a young woman, Jenny to help him in his quest. As they travel from France to Italy, we find out more of the story.
Ghosts of the past, but a new future for one. Terrific characters, and a wonderful, heartfelt story. A happy, sad ending that had me in tears.
The audio narration was excellent.
October 29, 2025
Although there are 3 stories told over several time periods, it seems to be mostly Jenny’s story.
The beginning starts with Nick Burns in a trench in WWI France who has a woman literally hand him her newborn son. And then we find ourselves as readers jumping to 1970’s where Nick is seeking a final reckoning with his abandonment of the baby.
Jenny is the story in the 1970’s.
And then we have Enzo in 1939 Naples.
The stories will eventually converge when Nick hires Jenny to help him find the child.
If any of this sounded confusing, it was for this reader, because the quickly shifting viewpoints at times added to the restlessness and frustration of following the characters through the various timelines.
But…and there it is – that but. But this but, may be a good one. Sort of. The narrative spans help as Jenny (remember, I said it is her story, more or less), settles in as protagonist. So, as she settles, readers might, too.
Hood has a tendency to take readers through time quite a bit – but the question is…does she do it skillfully? Well, this reader felt a bit of whiplash. (I think I sort of alluded to that earlier.) I rather prefer a linear approach when telling a story that crosses time, and this wasn’t Hood’s way of telling the story.
Still, having said that, Hood does have a way of creating settings that are vivid and giving enough detail to immerse readers. And, Jenny is a likable character who has determination and resilience. Sometimes the decisions she makes are questionable, but readers might appreciate her growing confidence in her character.
And as readers, we can wonder…
What will Jenny discover on her journey? And, will we get the answers we deserve by the end of the story? (No spoilers from me.)
The beginning starts with Nick Burns in a trench in WWI France who has a woman literally hand him her newborn son. And then we find ourselves as readers jumping to 1970’s where Nick is seeking a final reckoning with his abandonment of the baby.
Jenny is the story in the 1970’s.
And then we have Enzo in 1939 Naples.
The stories will eventually converge when Nick hires Jenny to help him find the child.
If any of this sounded confusing, it was for this reader, because the quickly shifting viewpoints at times added to the restlessness and frustration of following the characters through the various timelines.
But…and there it is – that but. But this but, may be a good one. Sort of. The narrative spans help as Jenny (remember, I said it is her story, more or less), settles in as protagonist. So, as she settles, readers might, too.
Hood has a tendency to take readers through time quite a bit – but the question is…does she do it skillfully? Well, this reader felt a bit of whiplash. (I think I sort of alluded to that earlier.) I rather prefer a linear approach when telling a story that crosses time, and this wasn’t Hood’s way of telling the story.
Still, having said that, Hood does have a way of creating settings that are vivid and giving enough detail to immerse readers. And, Jenny is a likable character who has determination and resilience. Sometimes the decisions she makes are questionable, but readers might appreciate her growing confidence in her character.
And as readers, we can wonder…
What will Jenny discover on her journey? And, will we get the answers we deserve by the end of the story? (No spoilers from me.)
August 28, 2024
I guess I've been living under a rock because I had never heard of Ann Hood prior to seeing The Stolen Child in my library's catalog. I am going to be checking out her backlist now as this is one of the most moving works of fiction I have ever read. There are multiple timelines and multiple viewpoints that left me wondering how everything would tie together, but of course it did, and in the best possible way. I loved the mysteriousness of the plot as well as the found family element, and Nick was giving me serious Ove vibes which I also loved. The romance at the end felt a teensy bit rushed but I was glad to see a happy ending after crying my eyes out.
The audiobook is narrated by Jefferson Mays and even though there are female viewpoints in the book, I loved him all the same. He nailed every single emotional moment so much so that now I can’t even imagine what I would have done with a full cast. I also learned about interesting aspects of World War I like art found in the trenches which is a piece of history I didn’t know. The climax quite literally blew my mind and broke my heart at the same time. If you enjoy historical fiction, romance, and mystery all bundled together this is the book for you!
The audiobook is narrated by Jefferson Mays and even though there are female viewpoints in the book, I loved him all the same. He nailed every single emotional moment so much so that now I can’t even imagine what I would have done with a full cast. I also learned about interesting aspects of World War I like art found in the trenches which is a piece of history I didn’t know. The climax quite literally blew my mind and broke my heart at the same time. If you enjoy historical fiction, romance, and mystery all bundled together this is the book for you!
May 30, 2024
A story to keep the reader guessing until very close to the end. Multiple characters whose stories start separately end up intertwining when curmudgeon Nick, a dying WW I veteran, places an ad for someone to help him solve a problem that has bothered him for close to 60 years.
Jennifer, a young college dropout working at an IHOP answers the ad. Soon, despite Nick's concerns, the two are off to France to see if they can find out what happened to a woman and a baby that Nick met at the end of the war.
Beautiful writing unveil a beautiful story strong of emotional tugs and ties. A few periphery characters move in and out of the story, but all story lines merge at the end for an edifying finish.
Since there is a scattering of French and Italian phrases, depending on where the detective work takes Nick and Jennifer, I was thrilled that even after more than 50 years, my three years of high school French are still functional.
Jennifer, a young college dropout working at an IHOP answers the ad. Soon, despite Nick's concerns, the two are off to France to see if they can find out what happened to a woman and a baby that Nick met at the end of the war.
Beautiful writing unveil a beautiful story strong of emotional tugs and ties. A few periphery characters move in and out of the story, but all story lines merge at the end for an edifying finish.
Since there is a scattering of French and Italian phrases, depending on where the detective work takes Nick and Jennifer, I was thrilled that even after more than 50 years, my three years of high school French are still functional.
July 13, 2024
A grouch grumbling, a waitress waiting, a lost child - that's how you begin, dear Reader.
By the end it is all turned upside down and inside out, a read that kept me tight to the page, even though I had pretty much figured out how it would go . . . .yet it was a story swell-built, keeping me on the ride all the way to the very end. I needed to know and watched how the three stories braided together intersected, wound and overlaid each other. . .and they did.
Kudos to Ann Hood for the poetry, for the literature, for the food, for the weather, for the travel, and for the reconciliation. She shows us that as the road courses onward our paths all part with new destinations. . .bon voyage dear Nick, Jenny and the lost little one. . .so often it is proved that the slightest degree of change in direction can be of more significance than having taken an entirely different road or stayed for thousands of days on the selfsame track.
*A sincere thank you to Ann Hood, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheStolenChild #NetGalley
By the end it is all turned upside down and inside out, a read that kept me tight to the page, even though I had pretty much figured out how it would go . . . .yet it was a story swell-built, keeping me on the ride all the way to the very end. I needed to know and watched how the three stories braided together intersected, wound and overlaid each other. . .and they did.
Kudos to Ann Hood for the poetry, for the literature, for the food, for the weather, for the travel, and for the reconciliation. She shows us that as the road courses onward our paths all part with new destinations. . .bon voyage dear Nick, Jenny and the lost little one. . .so often it is proved that the slightest degree of change in direction can be of more significance than having taken an entirely different road or stayed for thousands of days on the selfsame track.
*A sincere thank you to Ann Hood, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheStolenChild #NetGalley
July 14, 2024
A grumpy WWI vet and a college dropout travel to France to track down the fate of a baby the vet was entrusted with as a young soldier nearly 60 years earlier. This was such a beautiful and bittersweet historical mystery with characters I fell in love with, warts and all. Multiple storylines weave together into an emotional conclusion. I didn't want to put the book down!
February 4, 2024
An incredible story of an American soldier in France during WWI who was entrusted with an infant as the mother ran from the Nazis.
More to come.
More to come.
May 14, 2024
THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood
4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook of this gorgeously written work of secrets long buried in the trenches of World War I, by Ann Hood. This is a historical fiction, mystery and romance read.
Narration by Jefferson Mays was well done.
How a one time chance encounter and a decision made can haunt you for a lifetime; exactly what happens to soldier, Nick Burns in 1917 at the young age of nineteen during World War I. A French artist, Camille Chastain, thrusts her paintings in one bundle and a baby in another bundle into Nick’s hands —- and flees.
The story moves to 1974 and curmudgeonly Nick, who has a terminal illness, and his hopeless romantic assistant, Jessica, travel to France and Italy to try and unravel the mystery of this child.
I enjoyed the writing of Ann Hood in this novel. This is my first read from her.
4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook of this gorgeously written work of secrets long buried in the trenches of World War I, by Ann Hood. This is a historical fiction, mystery and romance read.
Narration by Jefferson Mays was well done.
How a one time chance encounter and a decision made can haunt you for a lifetime; exactly what happens to soldier, Nick Burns in 1917 at the young age of nineteen during World War I. A French artist, Camille Chastain, thrusts her paintings in one bundle and a baby in another bundle into Nick’s hands —- and flees.
The story moves to 1974 and curmudgeonly Nick, who has a terminal illness, and his hopeless romantic assistant, Jessica, travel to France and Italy to try and unravel the mystery of this child.
I enjoyed the writing of Ann Hood in this novel. This is my first read from her.
February 16, 2025
Nick is searching for a baby he last saw sixty years ago. Jenny is trying to figure out the next steps of her life after she unexpectedly found herself dropping out of college. There's a literary guy who bailed on his check at IHOP. And a Museum of Tears in Italy.
Ann Hood lays all these pieces of the puzzle on the table and slowly and carefully puts the puzzle together, with fascinating characters and intriguing stories, set in France and Italy over many years.
Ann Hood lays all these pieces of the puzzle on the table and slowly and carefully puts the puzzle together, with fascinating characters and intriguing stories, set in France and Italy over many years.
June 10, 2024
A bit of a genre mash-up in this story with 3 different storylines in 3 different timelines featuring 3 very different characters. I wondered for most of the novel, if I am honest, how everything was going to come together. But, ultimately, my patience was rewarded in the end and the reader does receive a satisfactory solution. However, I did feel like I was kept in the dark *a little* longer than I wanted to be, but that was a plot device employed by the author and was definitely intentional to keep you guessing all the way through. And, it was a propulsive tactic, at least for this reader.
This novel prominently features a very unlikely duo who journey to both France and Italy to solve the mystery around a child's disappearance, & their eventual fate, at the height of WWI. And while that is the central plot and the mystery that simmers on the surface, I felt there was SO much more than just that. This is a novel about friendship, and what it means to be a friend, had a strong thruline of romance, of love that was found and then lost, of regret and sorrow and then, ultimately, of forgiveness. It was a story about discovering your purpose and how to make your way in life, of finding your place in the wide, wide world.
This was my first novel by Ann Hood and, upon reading other reviews, she seems to specialize in more quiet, emotional, evocative storytelling, and that is certainly what I got here in "The Stolen Child."
Actual rating, 3.75 stars, rounded up
This novel prominently features a very unlikely duo who journey to both France and Italy to solve the mystery around a child's disappearance, & their eventual fate, at the height of WWI. And while that is the central plot and the mystery that simmers on the surface, I felt there was SO much more than just that. This is a novel about friendship, and what it means to be a friend, had a strong thruline of romance, of love that was found and then lost, of regret and sorrow and then, ultimately, of forgiveness. It was a story about discovering your purpose and how to make your way in life, of finding your place in the wide, wide world.
This was my first novel by Ann Hood and, upon reading other reviews, she seems to specialize in more quiet, emotional, evocative storytelling, and that is certainly what I got here in "The Stolen Child."
Actual rating, 3.75 stars, rounded up
June 11, 2024
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I listened to some and I read some of this one. The beginning was very choppy, the chapters alternated between characters and time lines. At first, it was confusing to keep Enzo in 1935, Nick in 1917, and Jenny in 1973 straight. Enzo is in Italy, Nick is in France and Jenny is in Rhode Island. As I continued reading, and can picture how Nick and Jenny are going to meet up and got absorbed into Enzo's world, I found the author's writing to be engaging and very interesting. Give it time to get into these characters, their stories, and eventually, how their stories are all intertwined. Ann Hood just makes it work and the narrators are really good.
I listened to some and I read some of this one. The beginning was very choppy, the chapters alternated between characters and time lines. At first, it was confusing to keep Enzo in 1935, Nick in 1917, and Jenny in 1973 straight. Enzo is in Italy, Nick is in France and Jenny is in Rhode Island. As I continued reading, and can picture how Nick and Jenny are going to meet up and got absorbed into Enzo's world, I found the author's writing to be engaging and very interesting. Give it time to get into these characters, their stories, and eventually, how their stories are all intertwined. Ann Hood just makes it work and the narrators are really good.
June 11, 2024
Implausible. Characters that should have had more of a voice, are silent (Russ?!) I can overlook a few typos, but there were blatant errors. A chapter begins in 1950, but then 2 years later, it’s still recorded as 1950. Then, a daughter that has been placed for adoption, is referred to as “he”, twice! I’ve read a few of this author’s novels and while the premises are interesting, ultimately they are lacking.
May 14, 2024
3. when I started this novel, I was totally hooked. That faded all too quickly. I really wasn’t interested in a French or Italian travel log. Characters were superficially developed in my opinion.
May 22, 2024
When Nick Burns served his country in WWI. A French Artist he befriended left him with a loaf of bread and a baby boy wrapped in a blanket. She called the baby Laurent. He left the baby near a well in the center of town. The Artist also gave Nick a number of her paintings that were so brilliant in color, they were so unusual.
Nick was old and didn't have much longer to live. He paced an ad in the paper wanting a young person
to travel with him to Italy to help him find the baby now a grown man.
Jenny answered the ad wanting to travel. They traveled all over Italy looking for Laurent.
Nick had to leave Italy because of his failing health.
Jenny was able to find Laurent. He was known as Lorenzo and Enzo for short
Jenny called Nick with the good news.
He wanted Jenny to keep his suitcase. The lost paintings were in the suitcase.
Jenny decided to stay in Italy. Making it her new home.
Nick was old and didn't have much longer to live. He paced an ad in the paper wanting a young person
to travel with him to Italy to help him find the baby now a grown man.
Jenny answered the ad wanting to travel. They traveled all over Italy looking for Laurent.
Nick had to leave Italy because of his failing health.
Jenny was able to find Laurent. He was known as Lorenzo and Enzo for short
Jenny called Nick with the good news.
He wanted Jenny to keep his suitcase. The lost paintings were in the suitcase.
Jenny decided to stay in Italy. Making it her new home.
June 18, 2024
3.5. Highly readable travelogue through France and Italy with some interesting characters but the plot felt too contrived and unbelievable.
June 28, 2024
Loved this book! There were several timelines and stories going on simultaneously which made it a little confusing, but finally everything comes together at the end. I loved the scenes in Europe and the unusual characters.
July 4, 2024
Ann Hood has written an affecting, emotional story, not so much about the battlefields of World War I, but about the battlefield of the heart of a soldier who fought in World War I. While in a trench on a farm France during the war, Nick Burns was given an infant by a woman artist who lived nearby and told him to take care of her son. All Nick knew was the baby's name: Laurent. Nick left the baby by a well and has spent his life worrying about failing the child. A dying man in 1974, he decides to return to France in hopes of finding the artist and finding out if the baby lived. Nick hires Jenny, a college dropout to help him on his journey. Their lives become intwined, and we pull for both of them to find their way literally and figuratively. I took a writing workshop under Ann Hood many years ago and was impressed by her writing then. I continue to be impressed.
April 4, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! This is the story of Nick a soldier in World War I who was given a baby by a local woman to take care of as the war encroached their tiny village in Italy. Jump ahead to 1974 when Nick invites Jenny a young college dropout to accompany him to Italy to finally find out what happened to the baby! This was a marvelously told story with wonderful characters and excellent descriptions of the cities in Italy and France. I highly recommend this book!
July 1, 2024
Who proofreads for authors today, no one it appears, in the last chapter Jenny opens a suitcase left with her that belonged to Nick, inside the suitcase is his wallet, and passport, after he returned to the United States from a Italy, you would never had gotten on a plane to return to the U.S. with out a passport. The author talks about how hot it is several times and returning to the air conditioned room, I was there the same time this book takes place, no one had air conditioning in 1970’s they barely have it today in Italy.
May 12, 2024
This had the potential to be such a good story. But the male main character keeps passing out every chapter and the female main character flits around after different boys each chapter and I grew tired of that. It eventually felt like a hot mess.
May 20, 2024
A beautiful and immersive story, threading timelines, that had me thinking of it when I wasn't reading. THE STOLEN CHILD will let you travel and taste and imagine other places. And the Museum of Tears touched my heart and made me wish I could visit it. Another hit from Ann Hood. Brava!
June 1, 2024
Another beautiful book by RI native, Ann Hood. Complicated characters and their stories weave the plot through time. I loved traveling with the characters from Rhode Island, to France, and to Italy. A great read!
June 19, 2024
Ann Hood books are always a good read.
June 22, 2024
A complex, but beautifully written story that keeps you guessing until the end! Absolutely devoured this book.
May 30, 2024
"The Stolen Child" is my favorite book of 2024 so far. I was transported to France and Italy, traveling with the main characters. Everything came to life, from the countryside to the food, especially the food. Now, I need to go to Italy to try some of the dishes they highlighted in the novel.
The author makes you feel like you are a part of the story. From three points of view, the reader gets to learn about the decisions a soldier made on a battlefield that will haunt him the rest of his life, to a college student who has to make a tough life decision that will alter her future, to the artist in Italy, who lives a simple life and doesn't ask for much.
Two of the characters meet to look for the child, starting in France and ending in Italy. The journey takes the reader through the beautiful landscapes of both countries. The mystery is, will they find the child, and who is it?
My words don't do the book any justice. This one will stay with me.
- Review by Kelley, Montclair Library Staff
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
The author makes you feel like you are a part of the story. From three points of view, the reader gets to learn about the decisions a soldier made on a battlefield that will haunt him the rest of his life, to a college student who has to make a tough life decision that will alter her future, to the artist in Italy, who lives a simple life and doesn't ask for much.
Two of the characters meet to look for the child, starting in France and ending in Italy. The journey takes the reader through the beautiful landscapes of both countries. The mystery is, will they find the child, and who is it?
My words don't do the book any justice. This one will stay with me.
- Review by Kelley, Montclair Library Staff
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
May 15, 2024
This is the best book that I've read in a long time. It has so many things that I like in book...historical fiction, rich character development, mystery, travel descriptions and it tackled many emotions. These characters explored feelings of regret, grief, guilt, delaying living the life you dream of, love, betrayal, friendship, etc. Since I love travel too, I enjoyed hearing about places in Italy and France and thinking how it would feel to travel in the 1970s. I know that this story and characters will stay with me for awhile.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was a perfect fit. His French and Italian accents really added to my enjoyment of this book and set the mood.
Deepest thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own and were provided willingly.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was a perfect fit. His French and Italian accents really added to my enjoyment of this book and set the mood.
Deepest thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own and were provided willingly.
November 18, 2025
Even though I'm not a fan of multiple timelines, I found this one to be engaging. However it takes a long time for all of the stories to come together. When all the pieces finally fall into place it's satisfying, but full of sadness.
"He had that same longing, that desire for another person's touch...He'd read somewhere that the need for touch is one of a human's most basic, primal needs."
"He had that same longing, that desire for another person's touch...He'd read somewhere that the need for touch is one of a human's most basic, primal needs."
May 14, 2024
Nick, an American soldier in the trenches during WWI, befriends a local woman who shares his love of art. With the Germans approaching, Camille gives Nick her baby and a bundle of her artwork and flees. Fast forward the 1974, Nick is dying and racked with grief over the unknown fate of this woman and baby. Along with the help of Jenny, a college drop-out who yearns for more from life, the unlikely duo set out for France and later Italy to try to find the child. I enjoyed the evolving friendship between Nick and Jenny along the way as well as what each of them learned about themselves.
With a lot of French and Italian used, the audiobook enabled to move through that easily instead of stumbling over the unfamiliar written words.
Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC.
With a lot of French and Italian used, the audiobook enabled to move through that easily instead of stumbling over the unfamiliar written words.
Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC.
September 17, 2025
I went into this book expecting it to be just ok. And I thought the multi POV/timeline would be difficult to follow. I was wrong. I loved every page of this book. The character development, the foundation and the whole storyline. Seeing how the individual timelines connected was perfect.
July 22, 2024
a delightful book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews