Keith Donohue, The Stolen Child

The Stolen Child

Keith Donohue

Doubleday, Apr 2006, $23.95

ISBN 0385516169

Mischievous hobgoblins (an oxymoron) abduct seven year old Henry Day and replace him with an identically looking doppelganger. Over time, the human Henry adapts to living with the hobgoblins, though he notices major differences between him and his "family"; for instance, unlike him they never seem to get older or wiser. The replacement Hobgoblin Henry uses his skills of a copy cat to create a successful musical career stealing the sound from talented humans; he too has adjusted to a human life.

Still, over the years the two Henry's consistently feel out of place in their respective world, and that sense of not belonging grows, even as they adjust to their environs. Neither can hold a relationship for even a small time period, as their alienation widens. Soon each looks back to their early childhood to try to learn why they feel like such an outsider, but their memories are murky at best, and seem impossible to have been real. Impossible that is until decades later when Henry meets Henry.

Though a fantasy, THE STOLEN CHILD is more a deep character study that digs inside the souls (can a hobgoblin have a soul?) of two individuals who have always felt estranged and unhappy with their respective lives, as neither believe they belong. The storyline cleverly rotates between the Henry's over the years, with each passing chapter in their lives just compounding the sentiment of alienation with those around them. Fans will appreciate this powerful yet low keyed (at least the paranormal elements) tale star strangers in a strange land, though each has grown up as part of the landscape.