Lauren O'Neil was only 11 years old when she was kidnapped
in broad daylight by a child molester. She was held hostage
for 6 long years before she is rescued through sheer chance.
Her abductor confesses, and Lauren is now safe. The problem
is that she has endured so much horror during those 6 years
at the hands of her kidnapper that it will take a long time
and plenty of help for her to return to a normal life.
Her parents Rachel and Dan had searched tirelessly and
continuously through those years to find Lauren and bring
her back home. Rachel had been so obsessed with her mission
that she seemed to have nearly forgotten that she has
another daughter. Sierra was only 6 when Lauren was taken
and she had to live with the ghost of her sister while her
mother seemed to be more focused on finding Lauren than
paying attention to the daughter that she still had with
her. To her credit, Sierra isn't a brat to Lauren when she
is found. In fact, Lauren seems to be more comfortable with
Sierra than either of her parents.
Even though Lauren is now safe and undergoing some much
needed therapy to re-introduce her to the world, it isn't
going to be easy. Lauren has gone through more than any
young girl should have to endure. Whether or not she
recovers will be up to her and just how strong she can
become.
Ripped right out of the headlines; AND THEN SHE WAS GONE
shows what happens after a kidnapping victim is returned
home. Rosalind Noonan does an excellent job of putting her
characters in the same room with her readers. I found myself
reacting to the actions of the various characters as I read.
Rachel seriously got on my nerves for about half of the
book. She really did need to be paying more attention to
Sierra than she was, and I kind of wanted to shake her.
Being a bit of a control freak, Rachel doesn't take well to
the fact that Lauren doesn't want to come home yet. Dan is a
very likable character and seems to understand Lauren more
than Rachel is willing to do. Sierra is a great character!
She's written perfectly for a 13 year old who has been
overly-sheltered since Lauren's kidnapping as well as
somewhat ignored by her mother.
AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is a realistic view of kidnapping
victims that are taken so young and then rescued years
later. Lauren is a combination of all of those young girls
that make the news in this way. She is one of the 'lucky
ones' in that she was found before it was too late.
At once suspenseful, heartbreaking and triumphant, AND THEN
SHE WAS GONE should be on the must read list of everyone
that truly enjoys an engrossing book with just the right
amount of realism.
Eleven-year-old Lauren O'Neil vanished one sunny afternoon
as she walked home from school. Six years later, her parents
Rachel and Dan still tirelessly scour their Oregon hometown
and beyond, always believing Lauren will be found. Then one
day, the call comes. Lauren has been rescued from a secluded
farm mere miles away, and her abductor has confessed. Yet
her return is nothing like Rachel imagined. Though the
revelations about what Lauren endured are shocking, most
heartbreaking of all is to see the bright-eyed, assertive
daughter she knew transformed into a wary, polite stranger.
Lauren's first instinct is to flee. For years she's been
told her parents forgot her; now she doubts the pieces of
her life can ever fit together again. But Rachel refuses to
lose her a second time. Little by little they must relearn
what it means to be a family, trusting that their bond is
strong enough to guide them back to each other.
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