Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Beth Holloway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2007

This is the story no one should have to tell, about the nightmare no one wants to live, told by the parent no one wants to be.

In May of 2005, Beth Holloway received the worst phone call a parent can imagine. Her beautiful daughter, Natalee, had disappeared without a trace in Aruba during her high school senior class trip. Two years later, for the first time, Beth Holloway steps forward in this astonishingly candid and inspirational memoir to tell of her harrowing ordeal and her never-ending belief in the power of faith that gave her hope against all odds.

Natalee's senior class picture was splashed across the front pages of the country's newspapers and on television. Desperate for a clue as to her daughter's whereabouts, Beth and an army of faithful volunteers searched tirelessly for the missing eighteen-year-old. In their pursuit of Natalee, they encountered many roadblocks. As the horror stretched out, Beth stood on her foundation of faith, which at times was all she had to give her strength against a barrage of unbearable questions with no answers.

Natalee's disappearance remains unsolved and her location unknown to this day. Beth's search continues.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beth Holloway is the mother of Natalee Holloway, who vanished on the last night of her senior class trip on May 30, 2005. To this day Beth continues to search for the truth of what happened. She grew up in Arkansas, then lived and worked in Tennessee, Mississippi, and finally Alabama where she now lives with her son, Matt. Today Beth addresses schools, churches, law enforcement groups, and other organizations on personal and travel safety.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (October 2, 2007)
• ISBN-10: 0061452270
• ASIN: B001PO6B9O
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars... The call no parent should ever have to get, April 1, 2008

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith (Hardcover)

Who doesn't remember the mysterious disappearance of the Alabama HS senior while on vacation with her high school friends in Aruba, now almost 3 years to the date. When I saw this book, I simply had to pick it up and read it for myself. One may think that you know the whole story, but until you read this book, you really don't.

In "Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith" (255 pages), Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee, brings us in brutal details what she experienced as a mother when her daughter went missing (and is now presumed dead). Holloway kicks off the Preface of the book with "I am the parent who got the dreaded call. The parent no one wants to be." Right then and there, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, and indeed this is no easy book to read, as Holloway describes the nightmare she and her family and loved ones went through upon arriving on Aruba, and try and find Natalee. The utter incompetence, if not outright unwillingness to assist and underlying corruptness, of the Aruba police authorities is beyond comprehension, even as it is clear that 3 young men are directly involved in Natalee's disappearance. Just sickening.

What keeps Beth Holloway going is her strong faith. I am deeply saddened by what she has had to go through, and (being a parent of a HS senior myself) can only hope and pray that I will never have to go through this. As to the culprits who did this to Natalee, they will receive their due, be in in this life, or in the next when they sit in judgment of our Lord. My prayers are with Beth Holloway and her family.

35 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, but it fails because of glaring omissions, October 3, 2007

By 

S. Redman (Dallas, Tx) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith (Hardcover)

I liked the book, primarily because I enjoy good first-person narrative accounts of very personal dramatic experiences and Beth has accomplished that quite well, describing her miserable first days and the frustrating first few weeks looking in vain for her missing daughter on the island of Aruba. If you are looking for some kind of a case-solving revelations, you won't find them here. In fact, there are only a few surprises, because so much of this story has already been recited on endless television shows. Something interesting is that there is far more detail about the drug and underworld scene than has been reported, which turns out to be a much scarier part of this vacation spot than most would imagine. Plus, you get the feeling of a police department bored with complaining parents (whose offspring evidently have always "turned up" in the past). What Beth does well is allow you to feel the anguish and frustration first-hand in her maddening attempts to get anyone in authority in Aruba to pay any attention to her plight (a daughter missing after a week of high-school class partying on the island with no one really caring enough to take it seriously) and that's good reading. Plus, I felt the disgust she probably felt when I experienced the time sequencing that this kind of account accomplishes (as you live it with her) and realized more glaringly than I had imagined how the three suspects purposefully misled the family for many days with a bogus tale about their last location with Natalee. I came away saying, "Why would anyone do such a cruel and insensitive thing, unless they are hiding something very sinister?" The dramatic story really ends after the family's tedious and fruitless first weeks' efforts... and it seems apparent that Beth concluded (and the reader will too) that this case investigation was also truly over very early (the police subsequently seemingly going through meaningless motions to satisfy the American press). Beth came (wisely it appears) to the conclusion and that her daughter would never be found (and the culprits who were responsible would never be charged or punished). You will be convinced that there really was no one on Aruba who could give her any hope that Natalee could be found (nor is there today). Was there a police cover-up or was it just an unsolvable mystery? Beth doesn't have any answers to give (only questions) and we are left with her same perplexities.

Where the book fails miserably is that Beth doesn't recant her repeated earlier television broadcast accusations (or provide the proof) where she promised that she had evidence of admissions to rape and murder. You will keep wondering where those documents are that she said would "shock the world." Maybe she's planning a sequel. Nor does she apologize for her role in the now-exposed (by the Dutch NFI) Dr. Phil altered recording of one of the suspects.

I do recommend the book, because anyone traveling to a foreign land will profit from stripping away naivety about the support which might be expected in an emergency when you are the "foreigner." It's a tale sometimes repeated... but evidently, not often enough. While reading the book, I related what she wrote to my own travel experiences. I came away convinced that Beth's reasoning in starting her safetravelsfoundation group really is the most logical avenue for her to accomplish some benefit to others from her own traumatic circumstances (and have a legal vehicle for managing various contributions). If anyone has a child heading out on one of these "girls (and guys) gone wild" weeks in a tropical "paradise," they need to read this book. It telegraphs the kind of "be aware" message to parents that needs to be told. So buy the book and make your kids read it if they are going on a "crazy wild-on" end of school adventure trip out of the country. Recommended, but with reservations.

26 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, October 8, 2007

By 

Audrey "ellegirl23" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn more about Natalee Holloway and her disappearance, and also for those who have followed the case all along. After reading this book, I am amazed that people continue to question Beth's recollections and her sincerity. I found her notes on events to be extremely compelling and coherent - especially considering the trauma she was experiencing at the time. This is a beautiful story of faith & resilience in the midst of some truly ugly events.