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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I've never read Lolita. Never heard of Sally Horner. I can't recall what inspired me to add this to my to-read list, but if there's a Goodreads giveaway for something on that list, I enter. And lo and behold, I won. Not a delightful children's book or upbeat story, but a book about abduction, sexual abuse of a child, depression, loneliness, even a suicide comes included. But I had asked for and won this book and was determined to at least try to read it.
In fact, it was hard to put down. A fictionalized version of a true story is tricky, juggling facts and fancies and trying to make it readable. But Sally is an incredibly sympathetic character, and Greenwood does a fantastic job of setting the circumstances in which both Sally and her mother are deceived by Frank LaSalle, leading to Sally's abduction. The surrounding characters flesh out nicely as well. Sally's stepfather was depressed and drunk, but mostly kind and loving. The women Sally met along the way who tried to help her, or wanted to help but didn't, might have been my favorite characters (and I believe they were all written as characters, not real people). A nun, a bearded lady, and a childless housewife all befriend Sally while she is under Frank's influence, and these relationships help to balance out the heartache of the rest of the story.
The ending made me cry, but the whole book gripped me right around the heart.
Received a copy of the book through Goodreads Giveaways.
In fact, it was hard to put down. A fictionalized version of a true story is tricky, juggling facts and fancies and trying to make it readable. But Sally is an incredibly sympathetic character, and Greenwood does a fantastic job of setting the circumstances in which both Sally and her mother are deceived by Frank LaSalle, leading to Sally's abduction. The surrounding characters flesh out nicely as well. Sally's stepfather was depressed and drunk, but mostly kind and loving. The women Sally met along the way who tried to help her, or wanted to help but didn't, might have been my favorite characters (and I believe they were all written as characters, not real people). A nun, a bearded lady, and a childless housewife all befriend Sally while she is under Frank's influence, and these relationships help to balance out the heartache of the rest of the story.
The ending made me cry, but the whole book gripped me right around the heart.
Received a copy of the book through Goodreads Giveaways.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
It's hard to know how to rate this book. It's well written, but the subject is difficult. It's not historical fiction, but it is based on something that happened in the past.
The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job! So much emotion when she delivered dialogue. Definitely made this a good reading experience. Also knowing this is based on a true story made me so emotional towards the end!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book absolutely shattered me. I fell in love with Sally from the start, so reading about the things that happened to her was especially heartbreaking. Not only the trauma that she underwent but the pain that it caused her family and all of the people she met along the way. Greenwood did an amazing job of painting a picture for her readers while still maintaining the integrity of the real-life events that took place.
A heartbreaking story based on a young girl’s tragic life in 1940’s America. Her family never stopped searching and found her only for her story to end so tragically.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide
Rust & Stardust is a fictional portrayal of the 1948 kidnapping of Sally Horner, the event that inspired Nabokov's infamous novel Lolita. Sally attempts to shoplift a notebook from Woolworth's to join the "secret sisterhood" of some girls in her class, but she is caught by an older man claiming to be an FBI agent. 11-year-old Sally has no idea the man (Frank LaSalle) is actually a sexual predator recently released from prison, and she obeys his command to go away with him to avoid being sent to jail. For the next two years, Frank drags Sally across the country as her family works with law enforcement to find her.
T. Greenwood brings the story of this harrowing crime to life with attention to historical accuracy as well as imaginative fictional characters to fill in some of the blanks. While of course the story is disturbing and hard to read at times due to the nature of the crime, the care shown to Sally by people she encounters along her journey helps to restore the reader's faith in humanity. Rust & Stardust is a powerful and heartbreaking illustration of the impact one event and one person can have on so many lives.
T. Greenwood brings the story of this harrowing crime to life with attention to historical accuracy as well as imaginative fictional characters to fill in some of the blanks. While of course the story is disturbing and hard to read at times due to the nature of the crime, the care shown to Sally by people she encounters along her journey helps to restore the reader's faith in humanity. Rust & Stardust is a powerful and heartbreaking illustration of the impact one event and one person can have on so many lives.
My Rating: 4.5 rounded down to 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ depressy and heartbreaking - fictionalised true crime story that will crack your heart into pieces!!!
Camden, New Jersey 1948, 11 year old Sally Horner makes a childish mistake to fit in that she will end up paying for in the worst way possible.
Sally, trying to impress new “friends” embarks on an initiation into their secret club, Sally must steal something from the Woolworths. As she does the dreaded deed she gets “caught”. Sally has no way of knowing the man that has caught her act of thievery is Frank LaSalle who is fresh out of prison for unspeakable crimes against young girls.
Frank convinces Sally he is with the FBI who can arrest her with a moments notice unless she does as he says… you don’t want your life ruined do you??? The next two years of Sally’s life are spent with Frank while he mentally breaks her down and physically takes pieces of her that she will never get back.
TRIGGER WARNINGS!!! Child abuse, sexual assault and physical abuse… this is not kind to the heart so know your limits.
Also you should know that this is a fictionalised depiction of the real life Sally Horner story. So many of the facts are truth and the author has done a brilliant job researching the case, but as it is from so long ago the author has admitted to taking fictional liberties with parts of the story like Sally’s interactions along the way and her feelings about certain things etc. I did not know this was based on a true story going in and I was already crying… so if I knew that I would have been bawling.
What a devastating tale of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - not only time in terms of when Frank was sitting in that Woolworths, but time in terms of the year (1948) stranger danger certainly wasn’t at the forefront of children’s and parents minds… and the ability to find a kidnapped child was so infuriatingly slow and arduous that Frank and Sally slipped through the cracks so many many times that it continuously broke my heart.
I wanted to reach through the kindle and take Sally’s hand… bring her to me and hold her until all her wounds healed… she was a sweet kind girl - who’s true spirit was never truly broken but was definitely damaged. All she wanted in the world was some friends and even those horrible young girls let her down… throughout the story almost everyone let Sally down at one time or another and it continuously wrecked me!!!
Her sisters husband was a true champion for Sally throughout the whole book - he never stopped searching for her even when her own mother had all but given up. Al never did… he was one of my favourite characters he truly loved Sally and he wanted to bring her home so badly. Al was one of a kind… I don’t know if he exists in real life but… I hope he did.
The term - turn a blind eye - was never more apparent then it was in this novel. The things that people turned a blind eye to… was abominable. The author did a fantastic job of portraying Sally’s sadness and terror in such a way that I was feeling it alongside her and I wanted to reach into the pages and shake the people around her and say WTF is going on, why doesn’t someone do something!!!
Frank LaSalle was a giant Piece of Sh*t that guy should have been strung and quartered… no one should ever have let him out of jail in the first place but when they found him they should have immediately blasted his head off!!
Overall: I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, it is heavy and it is sad and its hard to read. If you can handle the trigger warnings it is worth the read it nothing more than to hold your own babies closer, remind yourself there is evil in the world and be aware and beware of it… and read a little about a lovely little girl that was let down by everyone around her.
I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING
Camden, New Jersey 1948, 11 year old Sally Horner makes a childish mistake to fit in that she will end up paying for in the worst way possible.
Sally, trying to impress new “friends” embarks on an initiation into their secret club, Sally must steal something from the Woolworths. As she does the dreaded deed she gets “caught”. Sally has no way of knowing the man that has caught her act of thievery is Frank LaSalle who is fresh out of prison for unspeakable crimes against young girls.
Frank convinces Sally he is with the FBI who can arrest her with a moments notice unless she does as he says… you don’t want your life ruined do you??? The next two years of Sally’s life are spent with Frank while he mentally breaks her down and physically takes pieces of her that she will never get back.
TRIGGER WARNINGS!!! Child abuse, sexual assault and physical abuse… this is not kind to the heart so know your limits.
Also you should know that this is a fictionalised depiction of the real life Sally Horner story. So many of the facts are truth and the author has done a brilliant job researching the case, but as it is from so long ago the author has admitted to taking fictional liberties with parts of the story like Sally’s interactions along the way and her feelings about certain things etc. I did not know this was based on a true story going in and I was already crying… so if I knew that I would have been bawling.
What a devastating tale of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - not only time in terms of when Frank was sitting in that Woolworths, but time in terms of the year (1948) stranger danger certainly wasn’t at the forefront of children’s and parents minds… and the ability to find a kidnapped child was so infuriatingly slow and arduous that Frank and Sally slipped through the cracks so many many times that it continuously broke my heart.
I wanted to reach through the kindle and take Sally’s hand… bring her to me and hold her until all her wounds healed… she was a sweet kind girl - who’s true spirit was never truly broken but was definitely damaged. All she wanted in the world was some friends and even those horrible young girls let her down… throughout the story almost everyone let Sally down at one time or another and it continuously wrecked me!!!
Her sisters husband was a true champion for Sally throughout the whole book - he never stopped searching for her even when her own mother had all but given up. Al never did… he was one of my favourite characters he truly loved Sally and he wanted to bring her home so badly. Al was one of a kind… I don’t know if he exists in real life but… I hope he did.
The term - turn a blind eye - was never more apparent then it was in this novel. The things that people turned a blind eye to… was abominable. The author did a fantastic job of portraying Sally’s sadness and terror in such a way that I was feeling it alongside her and I wanted to reach into the pages and shake the people around her and say WTF is going on, why doesn’t someone do something!!!
Frank LaSalle was a giant Piece of Sh*t that guy should have been strung and quartered… no one should ever have let him out of jail in the first place but when they found him they should have immediately blasted his head off!!
Overall: I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, it is heavy and it is sad and its hard to read. If you can handle the trigger warnings it is worth the read it nothing more than to hold your own babies closer, remind yourself there is evil in the world and be aware and beware of it… and read a little about a lovely little girl that was let down by everyone around her.
I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING