Somebody's Baby (Paperback)

by Charlotte Vale Allen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This enticing tale revolves around a kidnapping, which occurred three decades before the action commences; it is resolved when a mother's deathbed confession leads her daughter, Snow, on a search for her natural mother. Snow, snatched in a New York City grocery store by the woman who raised her in a small Rhode Island town, faces a dual mystery--the identity of her natural mother and the real nature and name of the woman who raised her. The first mystery is readily solved via library research and police files. Naturally, her birth mother turns out to be an acclaimed artist, her mirror image, and a loving, fascinating person. Together they dodge reporters, give a single news conference, and shun potential moneymaking options--TV movies, talk shows, etc. After all, Snow is now a millionaire thanks to her late mother's confession. The second mystery is left unsatisfyingly open. Snow's about-face nonchalance, her "I may never know" attitude, does not suit the character Vale has so carefully scripted and is a letdown for the readers. Still, the story is well contrived, peopled with characters the reader could know, and breathtakingly paced. Denise Perry Donavin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"A powerful and compelling story."
-- West Coast Review of Books (UNKNOWN ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Mira (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551660679
• ISBN-13: 978-1551660677
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,774,045 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A letdown at the end., July 7, 2000

By	"bibliofiend" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Somebody'S Baby (Hardcover) (Hardcover)

A wonderful storyline which, unfortunately, could also be true. You couldn't help but feel Snow's pain at her mother's deathbed confession, leaving Snow feeling that she has no identity at all. As Snow's search for her biological mother comes to a close, the mystery of the woman who raised her for the past 30 years is just starting to take hold. The author had a wonderful story going here until the end, when you are left hanging. I have never liked books that leave open storylines. Even if it is part of a series, or if there is going to be a sequel, each book should be self-contained and with completed storylines. I feel like I was left reading half a book. I do hope the author has plans to do a sequel and put closure to this.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I will definitely seek out other books by this author., October 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Somebody'S Baby (Hardcover) (Hardcover)

The book is a nice combination of the (somewhat unrealistic) mystery involving the 30 year old kidnapping and the more realistic characters and their relationships. As her past becomes revealed, Snow's personality, attitude, problems, etc. become understandable. I like for stories to reflect, as I believe our real lives do, how everything that happens to us affects who we are.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story-Well Worth the Reading Time!, November 26, 2004

By	J. Kirkman "book jen" (St. Petersburg, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Somebody's Baby: A Novel (Paperback)

In this story, Snow Devane learns a shocking secret from her mother before she dies of a heart attack. Ann Cook tells her that she kidnapped her from a supermarket 30 years before, and that she never was her mother in the first place.

Hardly believing her mother's words, Snow knows she must check it out. The only way to do so is to go through all of her mother's things in the attic, and find out what information she can. As she does so, Snow finds out that things don't add up. So probing into her mom's business affairs, and with the help of her best friend Katie, they find the truth. After that, it takes a search through the police department to find out who Katie's biological mother is.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and would recommend it to anyone wanting a different type of mystery. And it really is.