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The Child Finder: A Novel Hardcover – Deckle Edge, September 5, 2017

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 7,364 ratings

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“It’s ‘Deliverance’ encased in ice… Denfeld’s novel is indeed loaded with suspense, its resonance comes from its surprising tilt towards storytelling restraint, a rarity in this typical crackling genre. Elegiac, informative and disquieting. . . . The novel gallops to a suitably heart-racing finish.” — New York Times Book Review

A haunting, richly atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl.

Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope.

Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.

As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?

Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.

"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It’s ‘Deliverance’ encased in ice… Denfeld’s novel is indeed loaded with suspense, its resonance comes from its surprising tilt towards storytelling restraint, a rarity in this typical crackling genre. Elegiac, informative and disquieting… The novel gallops to a suitably heart-racing finish.” — New York Times Book Review

“In the necessary and uncomfortable places where Rene Denfeld locates her haunting fiction, the lines between victim and perpetrator can be painfully blurry…. Giving voice to those who are metaphorically or even literally voiceless, Rene Denfeld reminds us that consequences continue, aftermath continues — yet we must somehow find ways of holding on to threads of hard-won hope.” — Elizabeth Rosner, San Francisco Chronicle

“At times haunting, at times devastating.... Captivating read.” — Bustle

“A chillingly good read that will stay with you long after you close the book.” — BookPage

“Gut-wrenching, its compassion goes a long way toward healing readers’ aching hearts.” — Shelf Awareness

“It’s stunning. From the first page... we are in a strange, forbidding territory.... I couldn’t put this book down.” — The Globe and Mail

“A hauntingly beautiful, chilling novel by a real-life badass heroine… Denfeld brings [her protagonist] to life with precise, lyrical prose. While the whole book reads like a fairytale for adults, Naomi herself is fully realized and deeply human.” — CrimeReads

“A glittering gem of a story—part mystery, part fairy tale, and all white-knuckled, edge-of-your-seat thriller… readers will be drawn in by Denfeld’s lyrical prose and undone by the brutal reality that Naomi uncovers, just beneath the snowy forest floor.Library Journal, starred review

“Aptly unclassifiable, Denfeld’s compulsively readable second novel calls on elements of horror, mystery, fairy tales, and even romance to explore legacies of violence and the resilience of the most vulnerable among us.” — Booklist

“Intense.... Innovative... Heartbreaking, surprising.... The conclusion will leave readers breathless.” — Publishers Weekly

“A darkly luminous story of resilience and the deeply human instinct for survival, for love. Blending the magical thinking of childhood, of fairy tales, dreams, memories and nightmares, The Child Finder is a terrifying and ultimately uplifting novel that demands to be consumed and then once inside you–lingers.” — A.M. Homes, author of May We Be Forgiven

“Rene Denfeld has a gift for shining bright light in dark places. The Child Finder is a gorgeous, haunting gem of a novel. Raw and real yet wrapped in a fairy tale, as lovely and as chilling as the snow.” — Erin Morgenstern, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus

“Rene Denfeld’s novel The Child Finder renders atrocity with depth and heart—a compassion made even more credible by her career as an investigator in death-penalty cases... The Child Finder‘s moral lesson is not new—that hope and humanity can be found in even the darkest places. But the extent to which Denfeld practices that belief is deeply touching, if not even remarkable.” — Willamette Week

From the Back Cover

“This is something I know: no matter how far you have run, no matter how long you have been lost, it is never too late to be found.”

Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight years old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as “the child finder,” Naomi is the Culvers’ last hope.

Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she, too, was a lost girl.

As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?

Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, deeply atmospheric, and exquisitely rendered literary page-turner.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; First Edition (September 5, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062659057
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062659057
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 7,364 ratings

About the author

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Rene Denfeld
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Rene Denfeld is the bestselling author of the acclaimed novels THE CHILD FINDER (2017), THE ENCHANTED (2014), and the forthcoming THE BUTTERFLY GIRL (October 2019) which Margaret Atwood raved on twitter is "a heartbreaking, finger-gnawing, yet ultimately hopeful novel."

Rene’s novels explore themes of survival, resiliency and redemption. Landing as the #1 fiction bestseller at Powell’s within its first week, The Child Finder became a top #10 bestseller. The Child Finder received much acclaim, including a starred Library Journal review, glowing NYTBR review, and an Indie Next pick.

Rene was the Chief Investigator at a public defender’s office and has worked hundreds of cases helping others. In addition to her advocacy work, Rene has been a foster adoptive parent for twenty years. She was awarded the Break The Silence Award in Washington, DC in 2017 for her social justice work. She was also named a hero of the year by the New York Times.

The child of a difficult history herself, Rene is an accomplished speaker who loves connecting with others. Rene lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is the happy mom of three kids adopted from foster care as well as other foster kids.

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Winner of the prestigious French Prix award

#1 Book of the Year, the Oregonian

Finalist for the 2014 Flaherty First Novel Prize

Finalist for the Connecticut Book Prize

Top #5 Books of the Year, Powell’s Books

Indie Next Pick

Amazon Book of the Month

ALA Excellence in Fiction Award

Foyles Best of 2014

Harper Collins Canada #1 Fan Choice

Waterstones Book Club Pick

Longlist for the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

IMPAC longlist International Dublin Literary Award

A New York Times Hero of the Year for her social justice work

Recipient of the National Break The Silence Award

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
7,364 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story captivating and compelling. They describe the book as terrific, enjoyable, and well worth their time. The writing quality is praised as well-written and the words flow smoothly. Readers appreciate the complex characters and how their personalities blend together. Many find the story heartbreaking and emotional, with some mentioning it made them cry. However, they find the book inspiring and heartwarming, touching their hearts at a deep level. The pacing keeps readers interested throughout the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

280 customers mention "Story quality"241 positive39 negative

Customers find the story engaging and captivating. They praise the intriguing premise and the author's storytelling abilities. The descriptions of characters and events are described with magic, lyricism, poetry, and empathy. Readers describe the book as the best novel they have ever read.

"This is a beautifully written and pretty wonderful novel...." Read more

"...enjoy a story that goes back and forth between characters, makes it more interesting. I really like this author's writing style...." Read more

"I enjoyed the book, The Child Finder, A Novel. It was hard to put down. I felt all the emotions of each character. Happy reading!" Read more

"...The ending is satisfactory with room for another book if desired. All in all a strong, quiet book about horrific actions." Read more

215 customers mention "Readability"215 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it an engaging mystery and thriller that keeps them hooked. While some parts may be difficult to follow, they consider it a worthwhile read. The story is described as gentle and powerful, with no horrific details.

"...he has simply never learned any other way of acting--but it does so with tact; there are no brutal and sickening scenes of child rape here...." Read more

"I enjoyed the book, The Child Finder, A Novel. It was hard to put down. I felt all the emotions of each character. Happy reading!" Read more

"...Editing: excellent Proofreading: excellent Age Suggestion: young adult..." Read more

"...This was such a “fun” book that I couldn’t put it down and read it in almost a day. Naomi is a child finder...." Read more

180 customers mention "Writing quality"160 positive20 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They appreciate the author's purposeful writing style that flows smoothly, making reading easy. The words are lyrical and magical, making the story easy to read and never confusing the reader.

"This is a beautifully written and pretty wonderful novel...." Read more

"...I really like this author's writing style. She doesn't waste unneeded words...." Read more

"...It was hard to put down. I felt all the emotions of each character. Happy reading!" Read more

"...She is a sympathetic character; easy to relate to and characterized by a sturdy, steady personality who can be brutally honest when needed...." Read more

93 customers mention "Character development"84 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging characters. They find the characters compelling and complex, and feel the emotions of each character. The personalities blend together seamlessly.

"...It was hard to put down. I felt all the emotions of each character. Happy reading!" Read more

"...She is a sympathetic character; easy to relate to and characterized by a sturdy, steady personality who can be brutally honest when needed...." Read more

"This book was a really mixed bag for me. The good: I really liked the protagonist - she is one of the few “flawed heroines” I actually didn’t think..." Read more

"...Rene Denfeld has created a compelling character in Naomi...." Read more

52 customers mention "Heartbreaking story"44 positive8 negative

Customers find the story compelling and emotional. They say it's an inspiring read, but not without heartache. The writing challenges the reader to extraordinary compassion and shows the world through the eyes of both the predator and the victims. The story makes them cry and makes them want to read more of this author's books.

"...astonishing in its obvious narrative when it challenges the reader to extraordinary compassion and shows the world through the eyes of a person who..." Read more

"...Issues of child abduction and child abuse are dealt with sensitively and without great detail with the focus more on how children survive and..." Read more

"This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride...." Read more

"...Denfeld handles dark topics with such magic, lyricism, poetry, and empathy...." Read more

48 customers mention "Uplifting"48 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, profound, and heartwarming. They are drawn in mentally and emotionally by the outstanding character development. The human spirit and strong instinct to survive clearly shine through. There is a sense of hope throughout the story with a powerful message. Readers praise the historical and natural setting, and the depth of Gods.

"...ways both find the inner strength to survive and to retain an inner core of self...." Read more

"...She gives gentle advice to parents, urging them to think of their marriage...." Read more

"...even more astonishing in its less-obvious narrative, the spirit beneath its living body, the idea that we save ourselves not by turning away from..." Read more

"...born of some unknown, veiled wickedness, and yet there is a simple childlike hope and belief in goodness that flows through this story...." Read more

46 customers mention "Interest"40 positive6 negative

Customers find the book engaging and suspenseful. They say the pacing is good, the writing style is captivating, and it keeps them hooked until the end. Many readers found the story enjoyable and kept them up past their bedtime to finish it.

"...The pacing was good and the book kept my interest well enough - a pleasant read by those measures...." Read more

"Keeps you interested from first page" Read more

"...This was one such book for me. I was captivated from beginning to end...." Read more

"...I found it engrossing and well written. Held my interest all the way through. The abuse was handled delicately...." Read more

29 customers mention "Pacing"25 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast-paced and suspenseful story. They find it engaging from the start, with a nice flow. The characters are well-developed, and the weather is described accurately. Overall, readers describe the book as an engrossing and well-written novel that keeps them hooked until the end.

"...for the jumps and it takes a moment to get oriented, but it flows quite nicely...." Read more

"...The pacing was good and the book kept my interest well enough - a pleasant read by those measures...." Read more

"...The story is very compelling and well paced and was hard to put down...." Read more

"Couldn't read fast enough. Page after page of intense suspenseful and thrilling drama...." Read more

Captivating
5 out of 5 stars
Captivating
Three points of view share in the telling of this remarkable novel by Rene Denfeld. The book opens through the eyes of Naomi, a woman who searches for missing children. The second perspective is through the 8-year-old eyes of Madison, a child who disappeared three years previously, and whose parents hope Naomi can find. Ironically, the third eye, and most heartbreaking vision, belongs to the abductor, a Frankenstein-type figure.The revolving voices – which spin closer and closer together as the circles of intimacy intersect and tighten - keep this story moving forward even as it fleshes out the back story of the main characters and supporting cast. This is a tightly crafted yet expansively written work that explores the themes of identity and belonging and asks what happens when one’s sense of self is violently violated. Another darker theme - of being hunted - permeates each of the main characters’ lives, an idea Denfeld explored in a poetic style in her previous fiction, “The Enchanted.”The unflinching but vulnerable Naomi keeps these heavy themes from trapping the story. Although she is a wounded soul with a traumatic past, love from a patient foster mom restored Naomi’s sense of humanity and good in the world. A fragile warmth guides her actions and gives this book a hopeful versus haunted feel. We feel safe with her leading the way, and we follow her child-finding quest page after page until the tragic end.This is a stunning story that reminds us that "it is never too late to be found."
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2017
    This is a beautifully written and pretty wonderful novel. The two major characters, one a twenty-something and the other an eight year old, are or have been victims of sexual predators. In very different ways both find the inner strength to survive and to retain an inner core of self. The elder is now a "child finder" while the younger is a taken child. This book is far more a celebration of those who survive than it is an elegy for those who don't.

    The child finder has had quite a success rate in the searches for missing, presumably taken, children she has undertaken; and, as a result, she has a growing list of pleading requests from distraught parents begging for her help. She is more successful than law enforcement because of her empathy for the child, the dedication she brings to the search--devoting month after month to the single task-- and her ability (pardon the cliche) to think outside the box. This book is not critical of law enforcement. The example we are given is entirely admirable. But how often is law enforcement allowed to concentrate month after month on a single case? But she will. The book mentions one of her previous successes, the finding of a boy who had been missing for eight years. Only she, of all the law enforcement who have looked for the child, thinks to consult the original blueprints of the school where he was last seen. This is pretty much a definition of thinking outside the box. In the current case she alone among searchers finds the original land grants in the neighborhood of where the child disappears, and she along searches out each of those old, original sites for a place in which a child could be hidden. An earlier reviewer suggested that she had some unexplained arcane ability that explained her success. I disagree; it is an unending patience and a willingness to keep on keeping on which explain her success.

    This book obviously tackles very ugly topics--pedophilia and its victims, the victim who grows into a predator himself because he has simply never learned any other way of acting--but it does so with tact; there are no brutal and sickening scenes of child rape here. This is an author who believes her readers know what happens when a sexual predator takes a child. But above all, this is a story of those who survive; and the reader can share in the enormous accomplishment, especially considering the magnitude of what they have survived.

    One thought I'd like to add: A previous reviewer found the book poorly written. I disagree entirely. The two examples that person quotes are thoughts taken from a person's mind. I think that very few people monitor their thoughts for grammatical accuracy, and I found both examples utterly realistic in term of what a person in that situation might think.

    Be that as it may, I thought this a very fine book that I'd recommend to adults without hesitation.
    56 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2017
    Mesmerizing story. You want to know if a child will be found, if found will she be alive, and how did she disappear? The passages involving the perpetrator are beyond upsetting, but then anyone who has read stories in the news about what happens to taken children knows it can be incredibly horrifying. It's an insight into a sick mind. And the sick power they can hold over the hostage.

    I always enjoy a story that goes back and forth between characters, makes it more interesting. I really like this author's writing style. She doesn't waste unneeded words.

    I also liked the descriptions of the Pacific N.W.surroundings, I tasted the sky and snow and ice and sun and moon and stars. I was educated in the Oregon Trail's history of fur traders and trappers.

    I usually find that including passages I've highlighted along the way in my reviews illustrates much better what I would attempt to say:

    "Her entire life she had been running from terrifying shadows she could no longer see-and in escape she ran straight into life. In the years since, she had discovered the sacrament of life did not demand memory. Like a leaf that drank from the morning dew, you didn't question the morning sunrise or the sweet taste on your mouth. You just drank."

    "There is no census here, Ranger Dave had said, but Naomi suspected otherwise. There was always a census-whether written in the scratchy pad of a farm boss checking off the field hands, or recorded in the head of an old woman who can recite the complete genealogy of every single resident going back three generations. The key was finding it."

    "She was the kind of helper Naomi had often met over the years: the town historian, gossip, and librarian all rolled into one. Naomi, naturally friendly had learned to appreciate these helpers, and show her gratitude."

    "You got to remember, Oregon was built on timber and trapping. It was fur traders and trappers that created the Oregon Trail. When the Homestead Act came along, some thought, Hey, my own piece of land to live off. They weren't thinking how hard it would be."

    "The forest was alive. Bear hair on a tree. A sky like an upside-down gold pan raining sleet that left stars in her hair."

    "He frowned at her, and in that moment she could see he was not like Jerome, who would have been eager to discuss this question. It was the way most people were-they kept walls around their thoughts."

    "Naomi didn't hesitate. She knew that if she made her request a statement, many people didn't know they could decline. So over the years she had learned to not ask permission, but to presume commend."

    "Naomi knew that under the skirts was something that linked the nice old woman to her, and this felt profoundly comforting to her, because the old woman seemed strong. Like she would hit badness with her black iron skillet before she let it in the door."

    "People had a way of appearing and disappearing in one another's lives nowadays, she had found, so that no one asked 'Is it for work?' or...'My God, you look tired'...or 'Say, do you have family here?' America was an iceberg shattered into a billion fragments, and on each stood a person, rotating like an ice floe in a storm".

    "She whipped around, and faster than he could stop her she put her hand right into the trap. Her finger stopped just before touching the metal trigger. She held her hand there, looking straight up at him, giving an answer with her eyes. She was willing to sacrifice, to be the broken animal in the trap. Mr. B had a look of pleasure on his face. I will not run, that offering hand told him. I will not go."

    "Is this why you stay on here, to search for the missing?" He replied "No. I stay here because I love the work. I can remember Sarah here. I am afraid I will forget her if I leave."

    "It was funny how when it was time for tomorrow, some people stayed and some people left."

    "Detective Winfield was right. After so many years Walter Hallsetter was likely dead. But Naomi knew that some things never die. They just get passed on."

    "Naomi had long thought there is no safe place, even in our minds. Even there could be traps. We could round a corner and find a secret moldering like a toadstool in the dark. The dream was like a dark demon, bringing with it scraps of the past. It was hard to tell what was a skeleton to be buried-or a treasure to be revealed."

    "Naomi knew people would bankrupt themselves, morally as well as financially, to rescue their children, when what they needed to do was the opposite. They needed to rebuild, to re-create."

    "I've killed people with weapons. I know that, I own it. It is in my soul now. See. I made it mine." Naomi responds "Oh. It's like what I tell the children after I find them: to make it theirs. I want them to feel okay about themselves, to not feel ashamed." He responds: "Exactly. Once it is part of you, then no one can tell." Naomi says "That you were ever any different?" He responds: "That you should have been anything but what you are."

    "Maybe she would never know. All she knew was that evil was alchemy built on opportunity. Some went searching for it. Others just waited. Either way, it was bound to happen."

    "This is something I know: no matter how far you have run, no matter how long you have been lost, it is never too late to be found."
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2024
    I enjoyed the book, The Child Finder, A Novel. It was hard to put down. I felt all the emotions of each character. Happy reading!

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing writer
    Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2024
    Loved everything about it.

    It really can't wait to read the 2nd book. I am sure it will be as amazing as the last one.
  • Cliente Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Que livro hein amores....
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 4, 2019
    Um livro sem defeitos, mentira tem um sim, ele acaba :c
    recomendo demais, essa historia linda irá mexer com seu coração
  • H-T
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner!
    Reviewed in Germany on October 9, 2019
    Couldn't put it down ... well written story, parts are hard to read (very sad circumstances) with a surprising ending.
  • S. Bell
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a novel that gets under your skin and steals a place in your heart and head
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2017
    have delayed reviewing this book, because I am so worried that my words will not do justice to this haunting and oh so perfect novel from the author of "The Enchanted".

    This is a novel that gets under your skin and steals a place in your heart and head, and one that I will come back to again and again. It is a novel of untold horrors (indeed, they are mostly untold, Naomi does not remember what happened to her and the snow child escapes into her imagination to cope with her incarceration) and cruelty, but also hope, resilience and forgiveness.

    The writing is lyrical and concise and have a strange fairy tale quality that really appeals to me. The depth and layers in this book are intricate and absorbing. Yes it is a story about a person who finds missing children, but it is also a story illuminating the power of the imagination, the horror of victim turned perpetrator, the growth of a human soul, the power of love and so much more.

    I would urge anyone to read this book, and my thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
  • Sandhya Swethadri
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest I've read.
    Reviewed in India on September 17, 2017
    The wonderful characters that make this story, each one unique but sharing the same pain. How Madison and Naomi cope with the most horrific situations is so well written. The story through the eyes of Madison is heart rending. This is one that will stay with me forever.