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Chasing the Cyclone: A Father's Unending Love for His Son
Paul Francesco is an independent, successful single man in his late thirties who has everything in the world going for him: financial stability with the real possibility of obtaining significant wealth, a dedicated and loyal group of friends and family, and a challenging, exciting career. Except Pual has one problem: he lives with a deep dark secret that torments him: he is a ghost living in purgatory despite his relative wealth and success.
Unknown to Paul, there is an evil plan to extort his hard-earned assets from him and in the process deny him the one thing that is more important to him than anything else in the world: to be an active part of his son Alex's life. Unfortunately, his innocent and trusting seven-year old son is at the center of this vicious and diabolical plot directed at him.
When things go from bad to worse to unbelievably insane - when judges choose not to uphold the laws of their nations, when law enforcement turns a blind eye, and when one government after another's hands are tied due to bureaucratic issues of jurisdiction or non-participation of the international treaty on child abduction, the only thing that could prevent Alex from becoming another sad and sorry statistic on a report that nobody wants to read or think about is his father's vow to never abandon him no matter what. As a result, Paul is forced to become a hunter, chasing the predators who have taken his son to the other side of the world. With the situation becoming more and more desperate, he is forced to find other resources to help him.
As the hunt moves across international borders, he gathers together an extraordinary group of individuals, each with their own powerful stories, to help him. The story moves from The United States and Canada, to the island nations of Oceania, and culminates in the horrifying black markets of Asia.
Chasing The Cyclone by Peter Thomas is a first-hand account of the growing epidemic that is international child abduction, and the extreme difficulties all parents whose child has been abducted must face in order to protect the welfare of their victimized child or children.
Unknown to Paul, there is an evil plan to extort his hard-earned assets from him and in the process deny him the one thing that is more important to him than anything else in the world: to be an active part of his son Alex's life. Unfortunately, his innocent and trusting seven-year old son is at the center of this vicious and diabolical plot directed at him.
When things go from bad to worse to unbelievably insane - when judges choose not to uphold the laws of their nations, when law enforcement turns a blind eye, and when one government after another's hands are tied due to bureaucratic issues of jurisdiction or non-participation of the international treaty on child abduction, the only thing that could prevent Alex from becoming another sad and sorry statistic on a report that nobody wants to read or think about is his father's vow to never abandon him no matter what. As a result, Paul is forced to become a hunter, chasing the predators who have taken his son to the other side of the world. With the situation becoming more and more desperate, he is forced to find other resources to help him.
As the hunt moves across international borders, he gathers together an extraordinary group of individuals, each with their own powerful stories, to help him. The story moves from The United States and Canada, to the island nations of Oceania, and culminates in the horrifying black markets of Asia.
Chasing The Cyclone by Peter Thomas is a first-hand account of the growing epidemic that is international child abduction, and the extreme difficulties all parents whose child has been abducted must face in order to protect the welfare of their victimized child or children.
428 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2009
14 people want to read
About the author
Peter Thomas
1 book7 followers Author Peter Thomas, a Chasing Parent who successfully turned the world upside-down in search of his abducted child propels the reader onto a terrifying, heart-wrenching, suspenseful, and triumphant journey of love and dedication in his gripping, highly informative thriller 'Chasing The Cyclone'.
Inspired by and written through the eyes and experiences of a Chasing Parent once left behind in the wake of an evil plot that only few could imagine, Chasing The Cyclone by Peter Thomas' novel is an extraordinary first-hand account of the intricacies and complex legal maze a parent searching for their child in lieu of international parental child abduction must face, and the terrorizing road children of this crime must travel on.
In Chasing The Cyclone, Peter Thomas shares a tale so intimate and informative that readers will immediately realize it could only have been written by an individual who journeyed into the darkness in order to protect their child.
Inspired by and written through the eyes and experiences of a Chasing Parent once left behind in the wake of an evil plot that only few could imagine, Chasing The Cyclone by Peter Thomas' novel is an extraordinary first-hand account of the intricacies and complex legal maze a parent searching for their child in lieu of international parental child abduction must face, and the terrorizing road children of this crime must travel on.
In Chasing The Cyclone, Peter Thomas shares a tale so intimate and informative that readers will immediately realize it could only have been written by an individual who journeyed into the darkness in order to protect their child.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2012
Today's review is on Chasing The Cyclone: A Father's Unending Love For His Son by Peter Thomas
In all of my reading over the past two years I have never come across a more poignant book than Chasing The Cyclone. There were times where I had to stop reading and shake my head at the horrible things that were happening to the young child in this story, and times where I was brought to sopping tears.
It is apparent through the exceptional detail and knowledge of the various laws pertaining to child abduction that the author has had personal experience dealing with this. And as I continued to read this amazing book, I felt my heart go out to him and the many other "Chasing Parents" that are out there.
Paul Francesco is the father of seven-year-old Alex. Though Paul has faced cancer and has survived, nothing had prepared him for the struggle he would undergo at the hands of his ex-wife D.
Unknown to Paul, D takes Alex to her home country of Canada and begins court proceedings to prevent Paul from having any contact with their son. She is able to weave what seems to be a unparalleled web of lies and false accusations against him. Thankfully however, Paul has the help and support of his friends.
When D then gets permission to take Alex to New Zealand to live with her new "fiance", Paul becomes even more frightened that he may never again be a part of his son's life. And though he is doing everything possible in his power to make sure that that doesn't in fact happen; even flying out there and spending a "covert" day of soccer with him, he is hit with the worst possible news he could ever hear. Those working for him and keeping watch over D, her so called fiance, and Alex, inform Paul that they have all gone missing.
With his niece in the hospital suffering from cancer, his business affairs at a standstill, and his funds almost fully depleted, Paul still does not give up his search for the son he loves so deeply.
Though most of Chasing The Cyclone is fast paced, I did find that the parts about Paul's business dealings weren't all that necessary to keep me reading. And though there were some editing misses, I just can not deduct any points. Yes, it is that good of a book, and I know that this is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
A day does not go by where I do not tell both of my children that I love them, now; after reading Chasing The Cyclone, I have another reason to tell them. I, as I am sure the author feels, am very blessed to have my children in my life. I don't know what I would do without them.
5 of 5 stars
Available @ Amazon
In all of my reading over the past two years I have never come across a more poignant book than Chasing The Cyclone. There were times where I had to stop reading and shake my head at the horrible things that were happening to the young child in this story, and times where I was brought to sopping tears.
It is apparent through the exceptional detail and knowledge of the various laws pertaining to child abduction that the author has had personal experience dealing with this. And as I continued to read this amazing book, I felt my heart go out to him and the many other "Chasing Parents" that are out there.
Paul Francesco is the father of seven-year-old Alex. Though Paul has faced cancer and has survived, nothing had prepared him for the struggle he would undergo at the hands of his ex-wife D.
Unknown to Paul, D takes Alex to her home country of Canada and begins court proceedings to prevent Paul from having any contact with their son. She is able to weave what seems to be a unparalleled web of lies and false accusations against him. Thankfully however, Paul has the help and support of his friends.
When D then gets permission to take Alex to New Zealand to live with her new "fiance", Paul becomes even more frightened that he may never again be a part of his son's life. And though he is doing everything possible in his power to make sure that that doesn't in fact happen; even flying out there and spending a "covert" day of soccer with him, he is hit with the worst possible news he could ever hear. Those working for him and keeping watch over D, her so called fiance, and Alex, inform Paul that they have all gone missing.
With his niece in the hospital suffering from cancer, his business affairs at a standstill, and his funds almost fully depleted, Paul still does not give up his search for the son he loves so deeply.
Though most of Chasing The Cyclone is fast paced, I did find that the parts about Paul's business dealings weren't all that necessary to keep me reading. And though there were some editing misses, I just can not deduct any points. Yes, it is that good of a book, and I know that this is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
A day does not go by where I do not tell both of my children that I love them, now; after reading Chasing The Cyclone, I have another reason to tell them. I, as I am sure the author feels, am very blessed to have my children in my life. I don't know what I would do without them.
5 of 5 stars
Available @ Amazon
August 5, 2012
Chasing the Cyclone by Peter Thomas Senese is a heartbreaker tale of what it’s like to have your child abducted by an ex-partner and taken to a foreign country. This is a fast paced story full of passion, love and the never ending attempt to locate his child.
Paul Francesco is a hard working man, loyal to family and friends especially to his seven year old son Alex. Although his marriage to “D” is a mistake, his son is the only good thing that came out of the relationship. And he relishes every second he gets to spend with Alex even though “D” does everything in her power to destroy the relationship. One day, she does the unthinkable and disappears with Alex. Thus begins the long and difficult journey of finding Alex and bringing him home.
Kudos to Peter Senese for not only telling his story but giving as much detail as he could about the difficulties dealing with government rules and red tape. He describes what happens in court, paperwork that needs to be filed, and the outrageous amounts of money that must be spent to find any bit of information that can help. At the end of the book, Mr. Senese gives countless pages of useful information to parents who might be in the same position as he is, what to look for and what to do in certain situations, the courts to apply to, and the paperwork needed, etc.
I sat on the edge of my seat, reading as fast as I could, praying that Alex would be found and brought home. I felt every pain that the author felt and the passion for his child is overwhelming. In a world where many parents just don’t care about their children, this book is a fantastic testament to the ones who do love their children totally and it warms my heart to read about this particular man and his devotion to bringing his son home.
Definitely 5 stars!!
Paul Francesco is a hard working man, loyal to family and friends especially to his seven year old son Alex. Although his marriage to “D” is a mistake, his son is the only good thing that came out of the relationship. And he relishes every second he gets to spend with Alex even though “D” does everything in her power to destroy the relationship. One day, she does the unthinkable and disappears with Alex. Thus begins the long and difficult journey of finding Alex and bringing him home.
Kudos to Peter Senese for not only telling his story but giving as much detail as he could about the difficulties dealing with government rules and red tape. He describes what happens in court, paperwork that needs to be filed, and the outrageous amounts of money that must be spent to find any bit of information that can help. At the end of the book, Mr. Senese gives countless pages of useful information to parents who might be in the same position as he is, what to look for and what to do in certain situations, the courts to apply to, and the paperwork needed, etc.
I sat on the edge of my seat, reading as fast as I could, praying that Alex would be found and brought home. I felt every pain that the author felt and the passion for his child is overwhelming. In a world where many parents just don’t care about their children, this book is a fantastic testament to the ones who do love their children totally and it warms my heart to read about this particular man and his devotion to bringing his son home.
Definitely 5 stars!!
September 5, 2012
5 Stars and recommended read
Chasing the Cyclone is one of the best books I have ever read.
Chasing the Cyclone is one of the best books I have ever read.
April 10, 2012
Angeline's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
If I had to use one word to describe Chasing the Cyclone by Peter Thomas Senese it would be phenomenal. As in remarkable. Extraordinary. I have read many books over the years, for enjoyment, for education, because I had to, because I wanted to. I cannot think of any other book that comes close to making me feel as I did when I read this book. I believe these feelings will stick with me forever. This story, inspired by horrific events, is about the love between a father and a son. And that love is beautiful.
Like the blurb states, Chasing the Cyclone takes us on Paul’s journey discovering his ex-wife’s deceptions at the expense of their son, Alex. Kidnapping him with help from others; she relocates to New Zealand. The failure of the court system is unreal, particularly before she leaves Canada. Alex is a US Citizen, but since he was abducted from Canadian soil, the US could do nothing to help. Those helping her try to extort Paul; did not have Alex’ welfare in mind. They were greedy. And evil. Paul does everything he can to rescue his child. With the help of several amazing people, he does just that.
We not only see the roller coaster ride Paul is on, we feel it. Mr. Senese writes this story from his heart. It is a subject he knows all too well after all. The ups. The downs. And my goodness there is a lot of downs. My heart broke. I was spitting mad. I was so frustrated many times. I know what I felt, I can’t imagine what Paul felt. Then he would see his son, the clouds would lift and the love between them bounced off the page; straight into my heart.
About a third of the way through the book, Paul is wondering how he will go about forgiving her “because that’s what it’s going to take for Alex to become whole again.” I had to stop reading and think about this. I admit that forgiveness was the last thing on my mind. I had zero compassion towards the woman. Then I was reminded that she is still the mother of his son. Alex needs both his father and mother. Although she was keeping him away from Paul, she does love Alex and Alex loves her.
Paul was absolutely right. He would need to forgive her eventually, for Alex and his sake. He also knew it wouldn’t be easy. Forgiveness, an admirable quality to have and Paul has it. More proof of what a good man Paul is. A good man and full of grace.
Paul has amazing friends to help him through. They stood by him, traveled with him and supported him without question. In another life examining moment, I was thankful because I, too, have these kinds of friends (minus any special ops type training, of course). I cherish each one of those friendships. The basis of the book is tragic, but there is a lot of love shown in it too.
I could not put this book down. Inspired by the realities a parent targeted for abduction faces, I knew before I read it that it would be emotional. I, also, knew in my heart that this story was meant for me. Not because I am going through anything similar or that I know of anyone else who is, but because I could be a voice for thousands upon thousands of children abducted by their own parent(s). Our society is not aware of the enormity of international parental abduction. It’s huge. We need to educate ourselves.
Although Mr. Senese is reunited with his son, his work continues as was evidenced by a large number of sworn testimonials by many thankful parents who Mr. Senese has directly helped in either reuniting with their own child or preventing their child from being internationally abducted. Establishing the I CARE Foundation and being closely involved in the rescue attempts of abducted children is but one of the many impactful acts of Mr. Senese. Clearly, 'involved' for Mr. Senese means financially, emotionally, legally, and investigative support. Hundreds of thousands of children are at risk. With the work of Peter and the ICARE Foundation, not only have many children been rescued, but important legislation has been presented and the courts are being educated. Mr. Senese is a lifeline for other Chasing Parents. His selflessness is inspiring. He is hope.
I have added Mr. Senese to my bucket list of people I’d love to meet in person in my lifetime. It’s been a pleasure visiting with Mr. Senese over the last few weeks. He is sincere and he is doing great things for other Chasing Parents. Please visit his website to learn more about international parental abduction and to learn where to purchase Chasing the Cyclone. Please educate yourself. It is the least you can do for your children.
He weathered the storm and they will survive.
If I had to use one word to describe Chasing the Cyclone by Peter Thomas Senese it would be phenomenal. As in remarkable. Extraordinary. I have read many books over the years, for enjoyment, for education, because I had to, because I wanted to. I cannot think of any other book that comes close to making me feel as I did when I read this book. I believe these feelings will stick with me forever. This story, inspired by horrific events, is about the love between a father and a son. And that love is beautiful.
Like the blurb states, Chasing the Cyclone takes us on Paul’s journey discovering his ex-wife’s deceptions at the expense of their son, Alex. Kidnapping him with help from others; she relocates to New Zealand. The failure of the court system is unreal, particularly before she leaves Canada. Alex is a US Citizen, but since he was abducted from Canadian soil, the US could do nothing to help. Those helping her try to extort Paul; did not have Alex’ welfare in mind. They were greedy. And evil. Paul does everything he can to rescue his child. With the help of several amazing people, he does just that.
We not only see the roller coaster ride Paul is on, we feel it. Mr. Senese writes this story from his heart. It is a subject he knows all too well after all. The ups. The downs. And my goodness there is a lot of downs. My heart broke. I was spitting mad. I was so frustrated many times. I know what I felt, I can’t imagine what Paul felt. Then he would see his son, the clouds would lift and the love between them bounced off the page; straight into my heart.
About a third of the way through the book, Paul is wondering how he will go about forgiving her “because that’s what it’s going to take for Alex to become whole again.” I had to stop reading and think about this. I admit that forgiveness was the last thing on my mind. I had zero compassion towards the woman. Then I was reminded that she is still the mother of his son. Alex needs both his father and mother. Although she was keeping him away from Paul, she does love Alex and Alex loves her.
Paul was absolutely right. He would need to forgive her eventually, for Alex and his sake. He also knew it wouldn’t be easy. Forgiveness, an admirable quality to have and Paul has it. More proof of what a good man Paul is. A good man and full of grace.
Paul has amazing friends to help him through. They stood by him, traveled with him and supported him without question. In another life examining moment, I was thankful because I, too, have these kinds of friends (minus any special ops type training, of course). I cherish each one of those friendships. The basis of the book is tragic, but there is a lot of love shown in it too.
I could not put this book down. Inspired by the realities a parent targeted for abduction faces, I knew before I read it that it would be emotional. I, also, knew in my heart that this story was meant for me. Not because I am going through anything similar or that I know of anyone else who is, but because I could be a voice for thousands upon thousands of children abducted by their own parent(s). Our society is not aware of the enormity of international parental abduction. It’s huge. We need to educate ourselves.
Although Mr. Senese is reunited with his son, his work continues as was evidenced by a large number of sworn testimonials by many thankful parents who Mr. Senese has directly helped in either reuniting with their own child or preventing their child from being internationally abducted. Establishing the I CARE Foundation and being closely involved in the rescue attempts of abducted children is but one of the many impactful acts of Mr. Senese. Clearly, 'involved' for Mr. Senese means financially, emotionally, legally, and investigative support. Hundreds of thousands of children are at risk. With the work of Peter and the ICARE Foundation, not only have many children been rescued, but important legislation has been presented and the courts are being educated. Mr. Senese is a lifeline for other Chasing Parents. His selflessness is inspiring. He is hope.
I have added Mr. Senese to my bucket list of people I’d love to meet in person in my lifetime. It’s been a pleasure visiting with Mr. Senese over the last few weeks. He is sincere and he is doing great things for other Chasing Parents. Please visit his website to learn more about international parental abduction and to learn where to purchase Chasing the Cyclone. Please educate yourself. It is the least you can do for your children.
He weathered the storm and they will survive.
August 25, 2009
CHASNG THE CYCLONE
By Peter Thomas
A Thriller and a Call to Arms
The unspeakable horror of child abduction in every form that this deplorable crime exists is rarely touched upon by the media. Granted there have been some books and some important films about the subject, but this fine book by Peter Thomas now opens the windows on the magnitude of these tragedies in his excellent CHASING THE CYCLONE – a book which is ‘inspired by a true story’ and the proximity of the novel to the writer appears to come from the heart as well as the skill demonstrated by his craftsmanship as a storyteller.
What makes this story so unique is the aspect that the child abduction sequence in this novel is by one of the two parents of a seven-year-old boy named Alex. The story opens in medias res with the narrator Paul Francesco (the father of Alex) in a compassionate scene with one of his friends who is undergoing therapy for cancer. Gradually Thomas unfolds the background of Paul’s plight to recover his beloved son from the restrictions imposed upon his visitation rights by the child’s mother D. And here unfolds yet another aspect of the complexity of this thriller: Paul met D while undergoing treatment for neurofibromatosis and D’s ‘attention’ to him created a too brief association that resulted in a hasty marriage and the birth of Alex soon after. After his ‘recovery’ Paul’s faux marriage collapses and D takes her infant Alex from Paul’s presence, demanding payments from Paul’s ample finances not only for child support but also for multiple questionably valid reasons. Paul discovers that D has abducted Alex to Canada and here begins a drama of Paul’s focused and committed attempts to regain his son, a journey that takes him to such places as New Zealand and other points of terror along the way, struggling with emotional, financial and physical attempts to thwart his success in regaining the son he loves so dearly.
As if the fast paced energy of this story weren’t enough to satisfy the reader, Peter Thomas demonstrates his quality as a writer of distinction on many levels. Fro example, the court proceedings at the beginning of the book –a launching pad for the remainder of the story – are related in as tense and realistic way as any author has written, and all this by telephone between California and Canada! But in addition to his narrative, Thomas pauses here and there for sharing some bits of philosophy that bears special attention. In a section about how we all have allowed reading books to be drowned by the other available sources of information Thomas writes: ‘In essence, we surf or skim for data. This behavior has changed the way our society thinks. Fundamental to this change is the inability or lack of desire for a person to spike for details. The ‘why’ and ‘how’ – the reasoning behind the information is typically barely glimpsed over. Unfortunately, our imaginations are nurtured and prodded when we understand the ‘why’s’ and ‘how’s’. And nothing provides us with a depth of understanding more than reading and books. But so long as society views reading and books as a third class activity, we will continue to lose our competitive global economic advantage by not grasping reasoning, which is the core of our imagination. Ingenuity will further become a word associated with countries like India and China.’
Perhaps this aside was not intended by the author to set the tone of his book as much as it does, but after reading this impossible to put down book, readers will likely return to these moments of intelligence Peter Thomas shares. Another aspect of CHASING THE CYCLONE is a glossary of information about the crime of international child abduction, complete with immediate resources should the reader or friends of the reader need further guidance through the tragedy depicted in this fine novel. A very satisfying novel as a thriller story, and an even more important sounding of the alarm about a crime we understand so vaguely.
Grady Harp
By Peter Thomas
A Thriller and a Call to Arms
The unspeakable horror of child abduction in every form that this deplorable crime exists is rarely touched upon by the media. Granted there have been some books and some important films about the subject, but this fine book by Peter Thomas now opens the windows on the magnitude of these tragedies in his excellent CHASING THE CYCLONE – a book which is ‘inspired by a true story’ and the proximity of the novel to the writer appears to come from the heart as well as the skill demonstrated by his craftsmanship as a storyteller.
What makes this story so unique is the aspect that the child abduction sequence in this novel is by one of the two parents of a seven-year-old boy named Alex. The story opens in medias res with the narrator Paul Francesco (the father of Alex) in a compassionate scene with one of his friends who is undergoing therapy for cancer. Gradually Thomas unfolds the background of Paul’s plight to recover his beloved son from the restrictions imposed upon his visitation rights by the child’s mother D. And here unfolds yet another aspect of the complexity of this thriller: Paul met D while undergoing treatment for neurofibromatosis and D’s ‘attention’ to him created a too brief association that resulted in a hasty marriage and the birth of Alex soon after. After his ‘recovery’ Paul’s faux marriage collapses and D takes her infant Alex from Paul’s presence, demanding payments from Paul’s ample finances not only for child support but also for multiple questionably valid reasons. Paul discovers that D has abducted Alex to Canada and here begins a drama of Paul’s focused and committed attempts to regain his son, a journey that takes him to such places as New Zealand and other points of terror along the way, struggling with emotional, financial and physical attempts to thwart his success in regaining the son he loves so dearly.
As if the fast paced energy of this story weren’t enough to satisfy the reader, Peter Thomas demonstrates his quality as a writer of distinction on many levels. Fro example, the court proceedings at the beginning of the book –a launching pad for the remainder of the story – are related in as tense and realistic way as any author has written, and all this by telephone between California and Canada! But in addition to his narrative, Thomas pauses here and there for sharing some bits of philosophy that bears special attention. In a section about how we all have allowed reading books to be drowned by the other available sources of information Thomas writes: ‘In essence, we surf or skim for data. This behavior has changed the way our society thinks. Fundamental to this change is the inability or lack of desire for a person to spike for details. The ‘why’ and ‘how’ – the reasoning behind the information is typically barely glimpsed over. Unfortunately, our imaginations are nurtured and prodded when we understand the ‘why’s’ and ‘how’s’. And nothing provides us with a depth of understanding more than reading and books. But so long as society views reading and books as a third class activity, we will continue to lose our competitive global economic advantage by not grasping reasoning, which is the core of our imagination. Ingenuity will further become a word associated with countries like India and China.’
Perhaps this aside was not intended by the author to set the tone of his book as much as it does, but after reading this impossible to put down book, readers will likely return to these moments of intelligence Peter Thomas shares. Another aspect of CHASING THE CYCLONE is a glossary of information about the crime of international child abduction, complete with immediate resources should the reader or friends of the reader need further guidance through the tragedy depicted in this fine novel. A very satisfying novel as a thriller story, and an even more important sounding of the alarm about a crime we understand so vaguely.
Grady Harp
July 2, 2012
Book Title: Chasing The Cyclone
Author: peter Thomas Senese
Publisher: Pacifica Twist Inc.
IBSN: 9780975912348
Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore
The life of Paul Franceso was going as well as it could be without having his son by his side. Professionally he was starting a new adventure but little did he know personally his adventure was going to take him to places he never thought he would go. Although Paul and his ex-wife have had their share of battles, he was hoping they were finally going to be over. His son Alex was coming to stay with him for visit and Paul was counting down the days with anticipation. He tries to call Alex, but there is no answer. Paul calls several more times, each time leaving messages in hope someone would call him back. There is no call. Where is his son? What has his mother done now? Please be safe Alex...Now the Hell on Earth begins.
I read this book not really knowing that it was based on a true story. A story lived through by the author himself. No wonder you are able to feel the heartache and anguish this father goes through to get his son back. Traveling from one country to another at a moments notice put his life on overdrive with only one goal in mind: his son. Thank goodness he had the funds and the help of old and new friends. The aide of these new friends were unmeasurable in the ins and outs of international laws and the security of his son. The love and devotion of this father to his son is highly commendable and very rare. His love never wavered. The sad part is how far another parent will do such unbelievable things to hurt the other parent and use their child as a pawn. International abduction is an ugly, vindictive act that should not be allowed in any country and there should be strong laws to protect against it. No one should have to feel the helplessness that this author felt. An added plus is that this book is also information packed, you will learn a lot that you never know was going on in our world and what laws are in play to save it. I highly recommend this strong, heart full story.
Author: peter Thomas Senese
Publisher: Pacifica Twist Inc.
IBSN: 9780975912348
Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore
The life of Paul Franceso was going as well as it could be without having his son by his side. Professionally he was starting a new adventure but little did he know personally his adventure was going to take him to places he never thought he would go. Although Paul and his ex-wife have had their share of battles, he was hoping they were finally going to be over. His son Alex was coming to stay with him for visit and Paul was counting down the days with anticipation. He tries to call Alex, but there is no answer. Paul calls several more times, each time leaving messages in hope someone would call him back. There is no call. Where is his son? What has his mother done now? Please be safe Alex...Now the Hell on Earth begins.
I read this book not really knowing that it was based on a true story. A story lived through by the author himself. No wonder you are able to feel the heartache and anguish this father goes through to get his son back. Traveling from one country to another at a moments notice put his life on overdrive with only one goal in mind: his son. Thank goodness he had the funds and the help of old and new friends. The aide of these new friends were unmeasurable in the ins and outs of international laws and the security of his son. The love and devotion of this father to his son is highly commendable and very rare. His love never wavered. The sad part is how far another parent will do such unbelievable things to hurt the other parent and use their child as a pawn. International abduction is an ugly, vindictive act that should not be allowed in any country and there should be strong laws to protect against it. No one should have to feel the helplessness that this author felt. An added plus is that this book is also information packed, you will learn a lot that you never know was going on in our world and what laws are in play to save it. I highly recommend this strong, heart full story.
June 2, 2012
This is the story of Paul. Estranged from his wife, he is in the middle of a bitter custody battle with a woman who makes it abundantly clear she does not want her ex-husband to have anything to do with their son. Before too long it becomes obvious that she is going to flee with their son, and thus Paul begins the battle to find his son and be reunited with him at all costs!
This was an amazing and poignant story. Written in a sort of autobiographical manner but changing the names to protect the innocent. We are taken on the heart breaking and often frustrating journey of trying to find an abducted child. The mother is corrupt, her lawyers are corrupt, it even seems like the courts are corrupt. The story was written in a very personal manner so you felt you were there feeling every heartache and setback. I have a criticism though, and it is only a small one. It is the authors tendency to write in large chunks of paragraph, sometimes whole pages of my kindle, it made it difficult to read at times, but did not detract from my overall enjoyment, and relief at the outcome. It was a fantastic story and I totally recommend it.
This was an amazing and poignant story. Written in a sort of autobiographical manner but changing the names to protect the innocent. We are taken on the heart breaking and often frustrating journey of trying to find an abducted child. The mother is corrupt, her lawyers are corrupt, it even seems like the courts are corrupt. The story was written in a very personal manner so you felt you were there feeling every heartache and setback. I have a criticism though, and it is only a small one. It is the authors tendency to write in large chunks of paragraph, sometimes whole pages of my kindle, it made it difficult to read at times, but did not detract from my overall enjoyment, and relief at the outcome. It was a fantastic story and I totally recommend it.
June 5, 2013
Chasing the Cyclone is well-written, but starts slowly in a series of snap-shot moments strung together into a stiff narrative. Initially, it feels like the author rushed to get critical elements on paper. Some of the characters are a little hard to follow as the author only paints them with cursory strokes before moving on. What kept me reading was the sense I was only a page turn away from the storm. Senese did not disappoint. About a quarter of the way into the book the prose and narrative warm up and Cyclone becomes an emotional rollercoaster.
It’s clear Peter Thomas Senese is a crusader. Chasing is more than a fictional drama, it’s part textbook and part compilation of personal lessons learned. Every so often a character monologues important facts regarding parental child abduction. The final section is a compilation of resources for what Senese calls ‘Chasing Parents.’ Cyclone reaches out to Chasing Parents with critical information to guide them through the coming maelstrom.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews: http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com...
It’s clear Peter Thomas Senese is a crusader. Chasing is more than a fictional drama, it’s part textbook and part compilation of personal lessons learned. Every so often a character monologues important facts regarding parental child abduction. The final section is a compilation of resources for what Senese calls ‘Chasing Parents.’ Cyclone reaches out to Chasing Parents with critical information to guide them through the coming maelstrom.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews: http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com...
May 28, 2012
Unbelievable, yet all too real! I was engaged and infuriated at the same time. The idea that a human being can actually execute such cruelty unto another is just repulsive. One of the few books I've read recently that elicited such emotions from me~A VERY GOOD READ!
April 19, 2012
This is an absolutely amazing roller coaster of a read. Strongly suggest for all to read!!!
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