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You'll Never Find Us: A Memoir
In 1977, Jeanne’s German nationalist ex-husband, Klaus, tells her he’s gotten a new job and wants to take their three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son away for a long weekend to celebrate. Jeanne relents. But Klaus never returns and instead sends Jeanne a letter, delivered by a mutual friend, in which he declares that he has fled to Germany and she will never see him, or her children, again.
The next four months are filled with agony, despair, and anger as Jeanne seeks legal support but quickly learns that federal parental kidnapping laws will offer her little help. She reflects on her tumultuous ten-year marriage to Klaus and the unsettling events that followed their divorce. A product of the patriarchal culture of the 1950s, Jeanne’s nice-girl mentality is being tested and reshaped by the feminist movement of the 1970s, and she finds that the kidnapping ultimately becomes a doorway to unexpected strength.
You’ll Never Find Us is the story of a young mother coming into her own power, regardless of past mistakes, bad judgment, and fears; the story of a woman who realizes she must tap into her newfound resilience and courage to find her stolen children―and steal them back.
The next four months are filled with agony, despair, and anger as Jeanne seeks legal support but quickly learns that federal parental kidnapping laws will offer her little help. She reflects on her tumultuous ten-year marriage to Klaus and the unsettling events that followed their divorce. A product of the patriarchal culture of the 1950s, Jeanne’s nice-girl mentality is being tested and reshaped by the feminist movement of the 1970s, and she finds that the kidnapping ultimately becomes a doorway to unexpected strength.
You’ll Never Find Us is the story of a young mother coming into her own power, regardless of past mistakes, bad judgment, and fears; the story of a woman who realizes she must tap into her newfound resilience and courage to find her stolen children―and steal them back.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2021
81 people are currently reading
1792 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 11, 2021
In You’ll Never Find Us: A Memoir, Jeanne Baker Guy writes about how her ex-husband kidnapped their two children in the 1970s. She first examines their courtship and marriage and then their divorce and custody battle. Kidnapping would be a scary situation in any era, but it must have been especially difficult to navigate without the Internet. Kudos to Jeanne for bravely telling her story.
September 24, 2021
Imagine having your children stolen, by someone you once mistakenly loved. Each day, rising and mustering strength to keep one foot in front of the other while searching for needles in haystacks of unknown destinations. Jeanne Baker Guy's new memoir, You'll Never Find Us, is a gut-wrenching tale of a mother's nightmare. Encumbered by legal systems with few rights for women and a patriarchal hierarchy of social mores keeping her in place, Guy's memoir explores the gap between women's rising emergence in a 1970's world unready and adverse for their equality. This mother bear's courage and fortitude offers a captivating and emotional read as we follow a rough road in hopes of finding her children.
September 3, 2021
This is the story of a father who takes his children away from their mother and leaves her a note saying he took them to Germany and “You’ll Never Find Us!”
This book was riveting but also a little frustrating. The book alternates between telling the story of the parents meeting, childbirth and early life AND the day the kids are taken away and beyond. Perhaps others might like it this way, but reading about the stolen children and then going back to read about their early life drove me a little crazy. It bugged me a little to read about the father being oh so loving right after reading how he stole the children. I know there are two sides to every story (at least) and what he did doesn’t mean he wasn’t loving before that. I just really wanted to know how it was going after the children were stolen and not what life was like before.
As you can see though I still consider this a 4 star book and like I said it was riveting. It was just a minor problem, probably only for me. I would have rather read it in order.
This book reminded me of another I read called Have You Seen These Children? by the same publisher. It’s a sad fact that this happens often enough for that to happen.
This story takes place in the 1970s. Laws about child stealing by parents were not as strict. There was nothing the police could do in their home state. It’s crazy to me to think that parents were getting away with this before the laws caught up.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book was riveting but also a little frustrating. The book alternates between telling the story of the parents meeting, childbirth and early life AND the day the kids are taken away and beyond. Perhaps others might like it this way, but reading about the stolen children and then going back to read about their early life drove me a little crazy. It bugged me a little to read about the father being oh so loving right after reading how he stole the children. I know there are two sides to every story (at least) and what he did doesn’t mean he wasn’t loving before that. I just really wanted to know how it was going after the children were stolen and not what life was like before.
As you can see though I still consider this a 4 star book and like I said it was riveting. It was just a minor problem, probably only for me. I would have rather read it in order.
This book reminded me of another I read called Have You Seen These Children? by the same publisher. It’s a sad fact that this happens often enough for that to happen.
This story takes place in the 1970s. Laws about child stealing by parents were not as strict. There was nothing the police could do in their home state. It’s crazy to me to think that parents were getting away with this before the laws caught up.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
September 2, 2021
Written in flashbacks, the chapters transition well. The author smoothly glides us back and forth through the decades of her youth and womanhood. We are reminded of the roles women of the past were expected to submissively accept and see how this woman, discovering a broader vision of herself, began breaking away from the patriarchal past.
The story opens in 1977 when her ex husband abducts their two young children. He leaves word they have been taken out of the country, “You’ll Never Find Us” The author transports us back further in time to get a better understanding of how life for her and other women of this period came into their adult roles.
I heard the writer’s voice as I read. I felt her joys, was teary by frustrations she shared, laughed at her wit and smirked with her sarcasm.
As readers, we stand on the high school football field in the homecoming court with her, become infatuated with a handsome college man with an enticing accent, sit through a seedy floorshow, enjoy motherhood and job/career, go through divorce with her, meet a new love, and have our world shattered when the children disappear.
Thankfully the children are safely recovered after smooth detective like sleuthing on Jeanne Baker Guy’s part and readers can breathe again.
The story opens in 1977 when her ex husband abducts their two young children. He leaves word they have been taken out of the country, “You’ll Never Find Us” The author transports us back further in time to get a better understanding of how life for her and other women of this period came into their adult roles.
I heard the writer’s voice as I read. I felt her joys, was teary by frustrations she shared, laughed at her wit and smirked with her sarcasm.
As readers, we stand on the high school football field in the homecoming court with her, become infatuated with a handsome college man with an enticing accent, sit through a seedy floorshow, enjoy motherhood and job/career, go through divorce with her, meet a new love, and have our world shattered when the children disappear.
Thankfully the children are safely recovered after smooth detective like sleuthing on Jeanne Baker Guy’s part and readers can breathe again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2021
When her children were two and six, Jeanne Guy’s ex-husband kidnapped them and left her a note saying he was taking them to Germany, his home, and she would never find them. Years later, as she started to write about that traumatic experience, someone told her that the story of the innocent wife and the wicked ex-husband was old news. She needed to examine and write about her part in the tragic drama. In You’ll Never Find Us, she does so with compelling honesty. Although the book reads like a novel, themes of feminism and parenting are woven into it throughout. I read much of this with tears in my eyes and a Kleenex in my hand—especially when reading the scene where she finds her children again. I almost think there should be a sequel, though an epilogue answers many questions.
November 13, 2021
This real-life account was sometimes difficult to read because of the horror of your children being kidnapped. It is beautifully written and devastating.
August 24, 2021
This is a story about Jeanne Baker Guy’s struggle with her marriage to a German Nationalist-turned United States Citizen and his abduction of their two very young children. The early introduction of Jeanne and Klaus in college was love at first sight. Hours after their wedding, Klaus’s true personality emerged and Jeanne wondered whaat she had gotten herself into. Klaus, exhibiting nothing short of sociopathic behavior, took every opportunity to demean people as idiots, he was racist and misogynistic, and focused much of this behavior on Jeanne throughout their ten-year marriage. When Jeanne finally divorced him, he took the children, sent Jeanne a letter through a priest explaining that he took the children to Germany and she would never find them. Jeanne’s journey to reclaim her children, with no help from official authorities, elicits all the emotions: fear, frustration, anger and joy. This is a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat folks. You can’t put it down.
September 17, 2021
This memoir by a mother whose kids were stolen by her ex is a page-turner, and kept me up way too late last night as I raced to finish it! Well-written, with a soul-searching point of view, told with the distance of many years, there's plenty to think about in this one: women's roles changing from the 1960s to the present, inequality, justice and the lagging behind of the justice system, and one woman's awakening to her own strength. From the personal to the societal and back again, the author takes us with her to a triumphant conclusion. Highly recommend.
October 4, 2021
I've always admired Jeanne Guy. Such an elegant lady. Now I admire her even more for her bravery and honesty in writing this book. She holds nothing back in her retelling of how she split with her husband and he kidnapped their children. She writes about her own foibles, insecurities and mistakes as well as the awful things her ex-husband did and how it all affected her children. I applaud her for telling her story in such an unvarnished way. Way to go, Jeanne!
April 11, 2022
What a heart-stopping, heart-breaking (and heart-mending) story! The author took me on a compelling journey from high hopes to dashed hopes to . . . well, I don't want to be to spoiler on this! Suffice it to say, I found myself grateful for the narrator's determination, grit, smarts -- and the support of those who love her. While the story was a roller coaster, the author made it easy to ride along in this dramatic memoir, with fluid writing deftly used to interweave the timeline. An incredible story, beautifully written!
August 10, 2023
When Jeanne meets Klaus, she is smitten, and everything goes fine until they marry. This is when Jeanne finds out how controlling, lying, and manipulative he really is. They split up and each takes one of the children to live with them. Jeanne then tries to move on and meets a new boyfriend and falls in love, but Klaus's behaviors start getting worse towards both. He stalks her boyfriend tries to turn the children against them both and other unacceptable behavior's.
Then In 1977 Jeanne’s ex-husband, Klaus, tells Jeanne that he has a new job, and he wants to take their three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son away for a long weekend to celebrate. Against her better judgement Jennie says yes and this trip results in Klaus's abduction of their two incredibly young children. Being1977 Jeanne will get no help from official authorities as Klaus is their father and they say he has done nothing wrong even when she explains to the police that he has said that he is taking both children back to Germany to live.
Jennies' dedication, fortitude, and courage to getting the children back in the face of overwhelming odds begins as she starts her journey to reclaiming both her children. Jeanne Baker Guy tells an honest and heart-wrenching emotionally story which makes you angry and has you laughing and crying. The story hooks you from the very first page and will keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a real page turner that you will not be able to put down.
Then In 1977 Jeanne’s ex-husband, Klaus, tells Jeanne that he has a new job, and he wants to take their three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son away for a long weekend to celebrate. Against her better judgement Jennie says yes and this trip results in Klaus's abduction of their two incredibly young children. Being1977 Jeanne will get no help from official authorities as Klaus is their father and they say he has done nothing wrong even when she explains to the police that he has said that he is taking both children back to Germany to live.
Jennies' dedication, fortitude, and courage to getting the children back in the face of overwhelming odds begins as she starts her journey to reclaiming both her children. Jeanne Baker Guy tells an honest and heart-wrenching emotionally story which makes you angry and has you laughing and crying. The story hooks you from the very first page and will keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a real page turner that you will not be able to put down.
January 3, 2025
Not badly written really, but there's just not enough "meat" there to keep your interest. It works for a 60 Minutes special, or a magazine article -- just not for book length. There are two time lines, the first when she meets her husband, has a family and struggles with her marriage, which is not particularly interesting and largely unnecessary in my opinion. The second is where the children are kidnapped and they struggle to find them. That part is much more interesting and is the only reason I continued to the end.
The writer does quite a bit of personal introspection and I can understand that, as she tries to understand why she put up with her husband's behavior for so long. For the reader, it can be a bit tiresome.
The writer does quite a bit of personal introspection and I can understand that, as she tries to understand why she put up with her husband's behavior for so long. For the reader, it can be a bit tiresome.
July 31, 2023
An exceptional experience about determination and love
Jeanne has her young children taken from her by a vindictive ex-spouse. Her journey to find and recover her children requires intense determination and support from close family and friends. (Though, Dr. Bob appeared to be less than helpful. He had his own issues.) The time frame of navigating custody issues in the 1970's and pushing forward to locate her children and retrieve them is an engrossing story. It took courage and willpower to document and regain her children from an emotionally abusive former spouse. This is a story well worth reading.
Jeanne has her young children taken from her by a vindictive ex-spouse. Her journey to find and recover her children requires intense determination and support from close family and friends. (Though, Dr. Bob appeared to be less than helpful. He had his own issues.) The time frame of navigating custody issues in the 1970's and pushing forward to locate her children and retrieve them is an engrossing story. It took courage and willpower to document and regain her children from an emotionally abusive former spouse. This is a story well worth reading.
August 6, 2023
This book kept me engaged because I wanted to find out if she ever got her children back. What I found perplexing was how she quickly gravitated into one relationship after another. Also, some of her choices concerning the settlement agreement with the father of their children, Klaus, was ridiculous to me. He was abusive, stalking her, lying, to turn the children against her, and yet these charges we never brought back up in Court, where he may have lost all chances of custody. It was well written, and I understand that back in the 70's it is not like today, but still she gave into his demands way too much.
August 1, 2023
Just what I needed
This book was just what I needed to read after reading the cumbersome, but informative “Alaska” by James Michener in anticipation of a trip to Alaska. This was a fast-moving page flipper which I enjoyed, but felt dwelled too repetitively on Jeannie’s descriptions of her emotions and feelings toward Klause.
This book was just what I needed to read after reading the cumbersome, but informative “Alaska” by James Michener in anticipation of a trip to Alaska. This was a fast-moving page flipper which I enjoyed, but felt dwelled too repetitively on Jeannie’s descriptions of her emotions and feelings toward Klause.
August 7, 2023
Interesting
Interesting story if a bit long-winded. She and I are close to the same age and our sons are even closer. My 1st marriage was troubled - my husband was physically and verbally abusive. I was given the same book, The Total Woman by a friend if his. I think I may have skimmed it and read two pages before I threw it into the trash!
Interesting story if a bit long-winded. She and I are close to the same age and our sons are even closer. My 1st marriage was troubled - my husband was physically and verbally abusive. I was given the same book, The Total Woman by a friend if his. I think I may have skimmed it and read two pages before I threw it into the trash!
May 11, 2022
I couldn't put this book down. Even though I knew the outcome before I started reading the book, since I'd been in a webinar with Jeanne, my heart was in my throat through most of it. Her writing is as compelling as the story. She is a gifted author.
August 11, 2023
Excellent
What a great memoir! The author really went though hell and back through this experience of kidnapped children. What a strong and resilient mother. I definitely recommend this book!
What a great memoir! The author really went though hell and back through this experience of kidnapped children. What a strong and resilient mother. I definitely recommend this book!
August 18, 2023
This book had me in tears at times for the mother and children. She went through hell because of her sadistic and abusive ex husband. A mothers love never dies and she is one of those mothers that never gives up.
August 20, 2023
loved it
Fortunately I have no personal history similar to Jeannie. It was eye-opening to hear how the laws of parental child snatching work. As a mother I can’t imagine the pain she endured and the fear of not knowing if she’d ever see her children again.
Fortunately I have no personal history similar to Jeannie. It was eye-opening to hear how the laws of parental child snatching work. As a mother I can’t imagine the pain she endured and the fear of not knowing if she’d ever see her children again.
November 15, 2021
Very quick but intense story!
August 3, 2022
Feeling a little biased because this book was written about my town but it was so well told. From one mother to another. It was gut wrenching.
January 24, 2023
A true story. Difficult to set down.
February 25, 2023
My Tiktok review: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyhitchcoc...
August 12, 2023
Well written
It was hard for me to put this down. I didn't give it 5 stars because it isn't up there with great literature but a definite page turner.
It was hard for me to put this down. I didn't give it 5 stars because it isn't up there with great literature but a definite page turner.
August 14, 2023
Recommended
I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to others.could really feel my pulse racing for Jeanne, haywood, Ty and Megan 🥺
I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to others.could really feel my pulse racing for Jeanne, haywood, Ty and Megan 🥺
August 18, 2023
Would be great to have a sequel on this one so that we could see what happened in the ensuing years!
September 19, 2023
Wow
I really enjoyed it. I thought it was well written and very interesting. I cannot imagine the pain and heartache she went through.
I really enjoyed it. I thought it was well written and very interesting. I cannot imagine the pain and heartache she went through.
November 28, 2023
Things sure were different in the 1970s.
April 20, 2022
What a story! Jeanne reveals her journey of desperation and persistence after her children are kidnapped by her ex. Amazing feat.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews