Customer Reviews

Throwing Stones: Parental child abduction through the eyes of a child

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4 star:		(2)
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As the mother of children who were retained in a foreign land, I know what it is like to experience abduction by one parent to hurt the left-behind parent. I appreciate this very important, eye-opening vision from the mind of the one who has been abducted as a child. Reading this book will enable readers to better comprehend the problem and ensure the creation of future legislation to help precious children.

"Intimate look at the emotional devistation parents blindly inflict on their innocent children when they determine not to allow the child to see their other parent again. Powerful. Heart breaking...The author snatches us up and takes us with him in his journey - threw the eyes of a child."
Maureen Dabbagh
VA Supreme Court Family Mediator
Author, "Parental Kidnapping in America"

I haven't read the book yet but I will.
My ex said she needed a vacation in the US with her folks while we were living with our 2 boys (then 9 years old and 8 months old) in France. One week in her "vacation" she called me to say she wasn't coming back and would keep me from seeing the boys again. It took me 2 years of painful and costly procedures to finally be able to be reunited with them.
I always wonder about the extent of the harm this incredibly violent separation has caused them. My older son (now 15) is often depressed. Maybe this book will help me understand what he and his brother have gone through better. I really hope so. I want to help and protect them in every way I can.

"Throwing Stones" is well written and gut wrenching as seen from the eyes of the child who endured the trauma of being abducted by a parent and forced to live a series of lies to avoid detection. The book ends with the question lingering of whether or not Ken's life reunited with his mother was a happy experience for him or not though. His next book hopefully will resolve that issue and we can see how things turned out from that point on.

This book certainly offers another perspective on the subject, one which hasn't been previously addressed. We all know the heartache that child abduction causes the grief stricken parent, but now we know how traumatic is it for the child as well. There is much more to this story and I am looking forward to reading more about it.

Mr. Connelly has stepped up with an inner strength to tell his story, not about "poor" little Kenny, but to give an unequaled account of his three year journey from innocent boy to victim of a horrific crime of trust. It is about time we have a view from the child and not just an argument from nonparticipant professionals looking in from the outside and guessing or from parents, looking at their child as if they can read their mind. This is an excellent book for both professionals seeking to understand the inner workings of the child during an actual case, and anyone else wanting to know how the child feels, thinks and observes his/her surroundings during a traumatic event.

I recommend this not just as a guide but a standalone story about the human condition and the basic need to survive. I cannot wait to see this as a movie. Two thumbs up for Mr. Connelly. I await his next book; Wakes and Ripples.

A very thought provoking and well written look at a a serious issue facing our society. Ken Connely brings a truly unique point of view to the discussion. "Throwing Stones" would be a must read for anyone interested in the subject of parental child abductions.