Sleep, Baby, Sleep [Hardcover]

Jessica Auerbach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 1994

When her six-week-old baby is stolen from her apartment, young single mother Sylvie faces the condemnation of her mother, the police, the FBI, and the baby's father, and strikes out on her own to find her missing child, before it is too late.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Told with edgy intensity, this gripping story of a young mother searching for her kidnapped baby could have been lifted from recent headlines. Sylvie Pearson at 20 not only looks remarkably childlike, with whitish-blonde hair and blue eyes, but acts in a docile and dependent manner, her low self-esteem reinforced by her judgmental mother, Hanna, a brusque college professor who never fails to remind Sylvie of her ineptitude. But the young woman feels secure and pampered when she moves in with her fiance, Peter, a handsome and caring man of 33 whom she has recently met at a New Haven mall. Her assurance and competence grow with the birth of their daughter, Calley. Sylvie is plunged into a nightmare, however, when, after a five-minute walk to the grocery, she returns home to find the infant gone. It isn't long before the FBI focuses on Sylvie as their prime suspect, the local police halt their own investigation and Peter abandons her. Unwilling to give up on her child and provoked by suspicions about Peter's real identity, Sylvie decides to find Calley herself, setting off on a long journey during which she redefines herself and, aided by a sympathetic detective, unravels a scenario that's horrifying yet plausible. Auerbach's newest novel (after Painting on Glass ) maintains a steady momentum and suspense. TV rights optioned to Citadel Entertainment; Literary Guild featured alternate.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Twenty-year-old Sylvie's life is shattered when her baby, Callie, is kidnapped, after having been left unmonitored for only a few minutes. Sylvie not only must endure the seemingly hopeless search for her missing daughter but also her own guilt and the accusations of others that she is responsible for Callie's disappearance and possible murder. Auerbach (Winter Wife, LJ 11/15/83) has once again demonstrated her gift for creating believable, sympathetic characters, this time in the form of Sylvie, whose learning disabilities do not prevent her from searching thoroughly for her kidnapped daughter, and policeman Martinson, who struggles with his own past tragedies so he can truly aid Sylvie. This is Auerbach's best work yet, well written and engrossing. Essential for popular fiction collections.
Alice DiNizo, Raritan P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 255 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (June 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399139419
• ISBN-13: 978-0399139413
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,683,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I've read in a long time., October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sleep, Baby, Sleep (Bookcassette(r) Edition) (Audio Cassette)

I absolutely loved this book! It had suspense and drama! After the first chapter I didn't want to put it down. The carefully thoughtout details made for a very realistic plot.

5.0 out of 5 stars a thriller like no other, no pauses, not a drop of blood, September 2, 2011

By 

asparagus lady - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleep, Baby, Sleep (Mass Market Paperback)

A young mother (too young?) leaves the building for a few minutes while her newborn daughter is asleep. When she returns, the child has vanished. What happened? The story recounts the physical and moral sufferings of the baby's mother as she deals with other people's reactions, from policemen to her companion (the baby's father), even her own mother, her colleagues, curious onlookers...I read this novel straight through, in English, while my husband did the same in French ("Le Berceau vide") - neither of us wanted to put it down, even for a moment. We were both impressed by the author's style, her knowledge of human nature, her inventiveness. Bravo, Jessica.