Throwing Stones: Parental child abduction through the eyes of a child (Paperback)

~ Ken Connelly (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Recent stories of long term abduction have flooded our current news. Everyone wants to know why children stay with their captor even when opportunity presents itself. The media scrambles to get expert and eye witness interviews. We place the child in front of a camera to get that smile of relief. We fail to look deeper and ask the real important questions. The young boy stands there confused and afraid. They have just been ripped from all they know, captivity. That is all about to change. In reading the life story of a former abducted child and revisiting one of the first national cases of child stealing in America, Throwing Stones; Parental Child Abduction Through the Eyes of a Child gives a dark narrative look into the life of a seven year old boy ripped from all he knows, and later returned to a life of hell at the age of eleven. His baby brother raised to hate a woman he was too young to know. His older sister consumed with her own inner turmoil turns violently on him. Left alone to find his own way he befriends anyone who will give him a sense of self worth. A peaceful and quiet child at the beginning; little Kenny learns to lie, steal and attack anyone who he thinks is a threat. Scared to trust anyone, Kenny goes inward to protect himself. Infected with an internal struggle to hold on to dying memories of a loving mother ripped from him, he gives in. After many lies, little Kenny starts to protect the man he fears most, his Father. Regardless of his outward environment, he finds hope and strength from within. Clear and sobering, this is long overdue. No other book has been written from the child's perspective concerning Child Theft. This case takes place before there was the National Center for the Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). His abduction was the first to involve a multi-state-manhunt and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. .

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse.com (January 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440104417
• ISBN-13: 978-1440104411
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,234,462 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Helpful Perspective ...., March 30, 2009

By	Peter Senese "A book is a free ticket to anyw... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

'Throwing Stones: Parental Child Abduction Through The Eyes Of A Child' is a uniquely helpful and well written story by author Ken Connely. As a successful Chasing Parent, one of my great concerns, as every Chasing Parent who has successfully recovered and reunited with their child will deal with is their child's re-intergration with society after the criminal ordeal they have faced. In Ken Connely, we have a person who was taken as a child. His writing provides great insight on the cruel abuse that is Parental Alienation (by all means - acts of criminal child abuse and criminal child neglect), and how this behavior effects the child.

Very little has really come to light on the challanges a child who faced abduction must deal with. Trust being one of the more difficult issues.

From the perspective of this father who turned the world upside down looking for my son, I found the writing and storyline of 'Throwing Stones' well written and very insightful. This is an important read for any parent or child who has faced either non-parental child abduction or parental child abduction.

4.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely excellent!, March 22, 2009

By	Maureen Avakians "Retired" (Avondale, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Parental Alienation is REAL and HERE is the PROOF!, February 23, 2009

By	CaliSkreenWrit'r (USA) - See all my reviews

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.