Not Her Daughter - by Rea Frey (Paperback)

About the Book

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from the author's next novel.

Book Synopsis

Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Rea Frey's Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother--and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

"Brings to mind Jodi Picoult...thought-provoking domestic drama." - Booklist

"Will make you miss your bedtime, guaranteed." - Bestselling author Kimberly Belle

Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her--far away from home. But if it's to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.

Amy's life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma's real mother, back at home?

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Review Quotes

"Not Her Daughter is a cleverly constructed novel that will have you questioning everything you believe about right or wrong. Frey skillfully tangles you up in these two women's lives and never lets up on the tension all the way until the dramatic conclusion. A remarkable portrayal of motherhood, in all its beautiful glory and heart-wrenching despair." - New York Times bestselling author Chevy Stevens

"In Not Her Daughter, Frey pulls off a difficult task: balancing a nail-biting plot with a thought-provoking question -- is a crime committed with the best intentions still a crime? A chilling, powerful tale of love and sacrifice, of truth and perception, Not Her Daughter will make you miss your bedtime, guaranteed. A stunning debut." - Kimberly Belle, Internationally Bestselling Author of The Marriage Lie

"NOT HER DAUGHTER is a deft and beautifully written examination of taboo maternal fantasies: Can a kidnapping ever be justified? Can motherhood be undone? Engrossing and suspenseful, Frey writes her characters with depth and compassion, challenging readers to question their own code of ethics." - Zoje Stage, author of Baby Teeth

"I couldn't put Rea Frey's NOT HER DAUGHTER down, and once finished, couldn't let it go. So much more than an engrossingly suspenseful novel, it's a thoughtful exploration on the extremes to which motherhood and love and loss can drive us. An amazing debut." - Christina Kovac, author of The Cutaway

"In her provocative debut thriller, NOT HER DAUGHTER, Rea Frey takes us on an emotional ride where the line between right and wrong begins to fade, and all that remains are the tears of a child. This story pulls you in from the very first page, and unlike most in its genre, you won't know how you want it to end until it does." - Wendy Walker, author of Emma in the Night

"Women who do not embrace motherhood or "bad mothers" are a taboo subject -- in both real life and fiction -- but Frey tackles it with aplomb in her taut debut, NOT HER DAUGHTER. The story begs the question: who is more mother -- the one who gives birth or the one who rescues? The plot twists here are brave, the themes are both poignant and unsettling, and the resolution is deeply resonant. A page-turner with heart!" - New York Times bestselling author Kate Moretti

"Harrowing and heartfelt, Not Her Daughter is a gripping novel about the amazing power of mother love." - Rebecca Drake, author of Just Between Us

"A compelling mix of high wire tension and superb writing. Not Her Daughter will linger in the memory long after the final page has been turned. " - Laura Elliot, author of Guilty, Sleep Sister, and The Betrayal

"Tightly paced and impossible to put down, Not Her Daughter is a cleverly written story that challenges what it means to be a mother--or not to be one. A thought-provoking and poignant debut." - Clarissa Goenawan, author of Rainbirds

"Not Her Daughter is an interesting and emotional debut about women stuck in lives they never wanted and the desperate decisions they'll make to get out. Certain to keep readers turning pages and guessing as to who the real villain is. " -Cate Holahan, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Widower's Wife and Lies She Told

About the Author

Rea Frey (she/her) is an award-winning author of several nonfiction books and the novels Not Her Daughter, Because You're Mine, Until I Find You, and Secrets of Our House. She is also the founder and CEO of Writeway, which teaches writers about the business of publishing--not just the craft. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter.