St. Martin's Press, 352 pp.
Published August 7, 2018
DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.
Camden, NJ, 1948.
When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth's, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says.
This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way.
Please note that Rust & Stardust is a fictionalized account of the true story behind the abduction and abuse of an adolescent girl. While neither the novel nor this review discuss the crimes in explicit detail, please carefully consider your personal limits and preferences before choosing to continue reading.
Breaking free from my reviewing routine a little, I've decided to cover Rust & Stardust in the love/like/dislike format usually reserved for books that I struggled to enjoy. That was no issue here from a quality of craftsmanship perspective, but the subject material is emotionally challenging, even for adventurous readers such as myself. Hopefully this breakdown will help you decide if this is a novel you'd like to add to your shelves. If you have any specific questions about content, I'm also happy to answer them privately (to avoid spoilers)!
You'll LOVE it if...you wish more authors tackled dark subjects in a sensitive, respectful manner.
Greenwood's restraint in describing Sally Horner's nearly two year ordeal is commendable from start to finish. By avoiding practically all explicit details she's better able to hone in on the psychological damage inflicted by La Salle, not only on his victim, but on her family and others who encounter him on a trans-continental escape. Her grace in the telling doesn't diminish the truth of what happened, though. It's quite clear from the beginning that La Salle is an experienced predator, that Sally feared getting in trouble, and that he exploited that fear to inflict a great deal of pain. While it would be inaccurate to claim I enjoyed reading about this kind of subject, I was constantly impressed with how Greenwood balanced a responsibility towards the truth of this crime and her sympathy for Sally and her family.
You'll LIKE it if...you're curious about the true story behind one of the inspirations for Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.
Lolita may not be a direct fictionalization of Sally Horner's kidnapping...but Nabokov does mention the crime explicitly in his novel and the parallels are indisputable. Where he challenged readers by conveying the entire story from the perspective of the perpetrator, Greenwood allows everyone except La Salle to contribute their point of view. It makes for a welcome counterpoint to the pitch-black humor and wry commentary of Lolita.
You may NOT LIKE it if...the subject of sexual assault is especially upsetting or triggering.
Hopefully it is a safe assumption that everyone is upset by sexual assault. However, as mentioned above, the details of Frank La Salle's crimes stay at an absolute minimum throughout the novel. This goes a long way to not only keeping the focus on the psychological impact of the kidnapping, but also prevents the narrative from turning sensationalist or exploitative. The subject matter remains the subject matter, though, which may be too oppressive for some readers. La Salle regularly gaslights Sally in order to continue physically abusing her and there are several "near miss" opportunities for an escape that break your heart each time. While I personally found the reward of finishing worth the effort of reading, not every reader will have the same tolerance and boundaries.
Although Rust & Stardust may discourage some readers with its difficult, true life subject material, ultimately it was a rewarding look at the resiliency of the human spirit worth the emotional ups-and-downs. T. Greenwood does an excellent job handling the most disturbing content with respect and keeps her focus squarely on Sally Horner, where it rightly belongs.
RATING:
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