By Rebekah Dolmat
Content warning: abduction, physical and psychological abuse, rape, sexual assault, violence
Originally written in German and later translated into English, Romy Hausmann’s debut novel, Dear Child, is a dark and disturbing but captivating psychological thriller.
When a woman who goes by the name of Lena is brought to the hospital following a hit and run, she tells the police that she has been held captive by a man in a cabin in the woods for the past several months. As Lena divulges her story to the authorities, the reader quickly realizes that not everything is as it seems and is left wondering if Lena really is who she says she is. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Lena is keeping secrets—both about herself and about her time spent in the cabin.
Dear Child is told seamlessly, integrating snapshots from the past and present, through three alternating perspectives: the abducted woman known as Lena; Hannah, Lena’s daughter who is born in captivity; and Lena’s father, Matthias, who has been searching for his daughter for the past thirteen years, or “4,993 days.” Hausman excels at constructing each character and in giving each of them their own distinct voice. The most fascinating voice, however, is that of Hannah—being a captive’s daughter means that her worldview and sense of understanding is extremely limited. You can see it through her choice of words and in how she tries to describe all that is happening around her—it is absolutely heartbreaking. Lena’s and Matthias’ voices are just as tragic, but in different ways: an abducted woman whose experiences will scar her for life and a grieving father who may never see his daughter again. To put it simply, the reader can clearly feel each character’s pain and suffering and will grieve alongside them as they each tell their own stories.
Even though Dear Child is a translated novel, the translation does hinder the story in any way. Hausmann has successfully written a gripping, thrilling, and heartbreaking page-turner, with each chapter revealing just a little bit more of the puzzle. Dear Child is a book filled with numerous twists and turns that the reader will not see coming and has an ending that is so unexpected and worth every second spent reading. If you’re looking for your next read to be impossible to put down then this is the book for you!
Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the gifted electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.