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Rust Stardust A Novel T Greenwood Books

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Rust Stardust A Novel T Greenwood Books

A longtime fan of Greenwood's, she is gifted at peeling back the layers of the human psyche and revealing them delicately while painting worlds familiar and real. Few would argue against her ability to immerse the reader and challenge their perceptions and understanding of the emotional life of her characters. To do that with fictional characters is one thing. To do it with the real-life Sally Horner and her kidnapper is on a whole different level. Greenwood's respect to the individuals she portrays in this candid and shocking exploration of what Sally went through is palpable throughout the novel. Even when I thought something too unbelievable to be true, I discovered in my research it was, in fact, documented in newspapers of the time. Greenwood then weaves the "how" and "why" into the story using her imagination. Her imagination in this case is not a process of creating the character, but of actually discovering Sally Horner herself, and walking by her side through the almost two year ordeal. I can't imagine what telling this story did to Greenwood, but I can tell you that she went down the rabbit hole and captured the spirit of Sally herself, regardless of the details she could not know. Sally's story is harrowing, shocking, and heartbreaking. And in fictionalizing it, Greenwood exposes the inner experience of a kidnapped child more authentically and emotionally than any true crime book I've ever read. Greenwood was careful. Respectful. Intentional. I am so grateful to her for not setting it afire and turning it to ash as she considered doing during the challenging journey of discovering Sally.


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Rust Stardust A Novel T Greenwood Books Reviews

I should be ashamed, as a former HS English teacher, to have never read Lolita. Neither had I heard of the abduction of Sally Horner. Double shame on me! T Greenwood's book reads like fiction, it is fiction, yet she captures the naivety of the time perfectly. Whenever I found myself frustrated by the constant mishaps I had to bring myself back to Steinbeck, as she captures his world in the telling of Sally who later became Lolita. Read this. It will spur you onto your own search for both Sally and Lolita. A much safer literary obsession.
As always T. Greenwood did it again!. I was captivated from the beginning and if it wasn't for work I would have finished it sooner. Ms Greenwood what a gift for storytelling you have. Loved the characters and story you told. I sure hope Sally had some of those happy moments during that horrific time until in her life. Keep doing what you do, I an anxiously awaiting your next one!!
This is a fictional account of the real events that inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write the both acclaimed and reviled novel, Lolita. Sally Horner was a real girl, kidnapped from her family and life in NJ and subjected to real emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. While Lolita will remain as one of the greatest novels in the English language, Rust & Stardust should also be considered as closer to the harsh reality faced by this little girl and her family. If you’ve read Lolita, you should also read this moving historical novel.
What a profoundly sad book. Your heart will break for Sally Horner. Knowing that the book is based on fact, you will wonder how such a thing could possibly happen even in that time period. You will be frustrated at the many "near misses" when Sally is just about to be saved, yet isn't. The book also delves into the themes of motherhood, friendship and belonging; ideas that are just as important today as they were in 1949. I think the most difficult part of this book is that even after Sally is rescued, there is no relief. As in real life, sometimes there is just too much damage done to have a happy ending.
Fabulous.
Literary.
Gut-wrenching.
I will read again and again.
A absolutely an all out top 10 over everything I've read.
A tour de force.
T. Greenwood's depiction of the real-life kidnapping and molestation of eleven-year-old Sally Horner in 1948 is as disturbing as you might expect. The story is revealed in third-person through the point-of-view characters closest to Sally and by Sally herself. At first, I found the alternating chapter titles of the characters annoying but realized this was a quick way to put the reader in the mind of the right character without confusion. I began to brace myself though when I reached the chapters entitled Sally. These are particularly grim as Sally learns to survive her ordeal by remembering the comforts of home and by anticipating her captor's moves, as every key in the lock, every drunken song means the return of a monster.

The most heart-wrenching scenes are the times Sally tries to enlist help from those with whom she is allowed limited contact. Her captor, Frank La Salle moves her from rooming house to dive to trailer park, from Maryland to Texas and finally California to evade detection. In every new location, she is forced to call La Salle her father and to learn a different backstory for every identity she is forced to adopt. Meanwhile, her physically disabled mother, older sister, and brother-in-law hold on to every shred of evidence proving that she is alive somewhere and will come back to them.

The story is fascinating but bleak. The chapters written from Sally's viewpoint, thankfully spare the readers the graphic details, but not the descriptions of the emotional toll of the predator's actions on Sally. On several occasions, Sally's torment could have ended had people who noticed signs of abuse acted early enough on their instincts. The rare bright spots were the tentative relationships Sally formed with a teacher/nun, a neighbor, a girl her age, and a dog.

Sally's story although gut-wrenching is a worthwhile read. The book lingers in your mind. If only to make people more sensitive and able to identify cries of help from the vulnerable it provides a valuable public service. I recommend this book to true crime fans and those who are responsible for children. This is not a book for those who are easily depressed
A longtime fan of Greenwood's, she is gifted at peeling back the layers of the human psyche and revealing them delicately while painting worlds familiar and real. Few would argue against her ability to immerse the reader and challenge their perceptions and understanding of the emotional life of her characters. To do that with fictional characters is one thing. To do it with the real-life Sally Horner and her kidnapper is on a whole different level. Greenwood's respect to the individuals she portrays in this candid and shocking exploration of what Sally went through is palpable throughout the novel. Even when I thought something too unbelievable to be true, I discovered in my research it was, in fact, documented in newspapers of the time. Greenwood then weaves the "how" and "why" into the story using her imagination. Her imagination in this case is not a process of creating the character, but of actually discovering Sally Horner herself, and walking by her side through the almost two year ordeal. I can't imagine what telling this story did to Greenwood, but I can tell you that she went down the rabbit hole and captured the spirit of Sally herself, regardless of the details she could not know. Sally's story is harrowing, shocking, and heartbreaking. And in fictionalizing it, Greenwood exposes the inner experience of a kidnapped child more authentically and emotionally than any true crime book I've ever read. Greenwood was careful. Respectful. Intentional. I am so grateful to her for not setting it afire and turning it to ash as she considered doing during the challenging journey of discovering Sally.