Review: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Title: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?

Review:

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey is a suspenseful debut novel about the abduction of a five year old girl.

Sarah Walker is a successful businesswoman who is leaving on a business trip when she first glimpses young Emma Townsend being treated roughly by her mother.  Fast forward a few months and she is shocked to spot Emma again and this time, Sarah is determined protect her from her seemingly abusive mother. Her decision to rescue (i.e. kidnap) the young girl is both premeditated and impulsive since she makes tentative preparations yet at the same time, she is reacting to Emma’s situation with her abusive mother.  Sarah then heads out of town with no real strategy in mind other than getting out of the public eye before an Amber Alert can be issued. Sarah knows what she has done is wrong, but what will she return Emma to her parents?

In Emma, Sarah sees a kindred spirit since she knows all too well what it is like to have an inattentive and abusive mother. While she recognizes on an intellectual level she has committed a crime by taking Emma, on an emotional level? She views her actions as saving Emma from a lifetime of confusion and pain that often results from an abusive childhood.  Although somewhat conflicted about whether or not she should keep Emma with her permanently, Sarah eventually makes a conscious choice that is virtually impossible to walk back from.

The mother of two young children, Amy Townsend is desperately unhappy and quite stressed. Although she treats her youngest child well, she cannot control the rage and antipathy she feels toward Emma. She is quick to lash out whenever she feels like Emma is deliberately misbehaving. Amy hides the worst of her actions from her husband, but it is just a matter of time before the truth about exactly what happened the night of Emma’s kidnapping is uncovered.

The chapters weave back and forth in time and alternate between Sarah’s and Amy’s perspectives. Sarah rationalizes her decision and deliberately downplays the other options available for helping Emma. She dotes on the young girl and delights in the changes that occur in Emma while she is under Sarah’s care. Amy is concerned for her daughter’s safety but there is no denying her sense of relief that Emma is gone.

Initially slow paced, Not Her Daughter eventually picks up steam at about the half way point. The characters are well-drawn and except for one notable exception, none of them are particularly likable or sympathetic.  Emma is truly a wonderful child who easily adapts to her new circumstances.  Rea Frey takes the black and white issue of child abduction and attempts to turn it into a grey area by characterizing Sarah’s actions as rescue vs a true kidnapping.  Whether or not she is truly successful is subjective and relies on readers’ perceptions of both women and their reactions to the situation. With an interesting premise and an intriguing moral dilemma, this debut novel is engaging but the ending is a bit unrealistic and somewhat unsatisfying. All in all, a worthwhile but sometimes frustrating read.