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Have You Seen These Children?
Four young children caught between love and hate—hostages to the cruelty of revenge. A deceitful American father and a naïve decision by a Filipino mother transformed their lives forever.
Valorie, Veronica, Vance, and Vincent’s perfect world turned into a nightmare one hot afternoon in 1959 in Cebu, Philippines. What was to be a quick lunch with their father turned into a flight to America, where four dreadfully long years of running from state to state, hiding, and vanishing into the night followed. Kidnapped from the only world they knew, confusion quickly set in. At nine, Valorie, the eldest, liked seeing their father after his absence for over a year. Vance, a timid six-year-old, went along with whatever Valorie did. Vincent, the baby at three, cried for his mother while clinging to Veronica for comfort. Veronica, eight, was the only one who was truly panicked by what was happening around them—and she recognized instantly that she and her siblings would have to stick together in order to survive. In that moment, her childhood ended and the warrior within her emerged.
Moving from state to state and school to school, avoiding the law, looking over their shoulders at every turn, the four Slaughter children found themselves fighting not only the heartbreak of separation from their loving mother but also poverty, discrimination, and abuse. Their only weapons were their deep love for one another and an unwavering determination to survive the trials they faced—and find their way back to their mother.
Valorie, Veronica, Vance, and Vincent’s perfect world turned into a nightmare one hot afternoon in 1959 in Cebu, Philippines. What was to be a quick lunch with their father turned into a flight to America, where four dreadfully long years of running from state to state, hiding, and vanishing into the night followed. Kidnapped from the only world they knew, confusion quickly set in. At nine, Valorie, the eldest, liked seeing their father after his absence for over a year. Vance, a timid six-year-old, went along with whatever Valorie did. Vincent, the baby at three, cried for his mother while clinging to Veronica for comfort. Veronica, eight, was the only one who was truly panicked by what was happening around them—and she recognized instantly that she and her siblings would have to stick together in order to survive. In that moment, her childhood ended and the warrior within her emerged.
Moving from state to state and school to school, avoiding the law, looking over their shoulders at every turn, the four Slaughter children found themselves fighting not only the heartbreak of separation from their loving mother but also poverty, discrimination, and abuse. Their only weapons were their deep love for one another and an unwavering determination to survive the trials they faced—and find their way back to their mother.
- GenresMemoir
296 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2020
I read this book in half a day. Once, I started reading, I could not stop. You could say that I was captivated by Valorie, Veronica, Vance, and Vincent story. Every step of the way from the moment that Valorie, Veronica, Vance, and Vincent were taken by their father to when they were reunited with their mother was a roller coaster ride of emotions.
The emotions are real. You could say that I became so invested in this book that my heart soared with joy when the siblings were reunited with their mother. When the bad times happened my heart broke. There were even tears shed at the end.
It takes a lot to share a personal story like this and that is why I am thankful that Veronica was willing to share her and her siblings story. I do believe that other readers who might have found themselves in this same type of situation will be able to relate. As far as memoirs are concerned; this is a really good book.
The emotions are real. You could say that I became so invested in this book that my heart soared with joy when the siblings were reunited with their mother. When the bad times happened my heart broke. There were even tears shed at the end.
It takes a lot to share a personal story like this and that is why I am thankful that Veronica was willing to share her and her siblings story. I do believe that other readers who might have found themselves in this same type of situation will be able to relate. As far as memoirs are concerned; this is a really good book.
October 3, 2020
This memoir has ever emotion in it. Happiness, heartbreak, fear, understanding, faith, hope, anger. It is so well written and also sad to know that this really happened to this family, these four children who did not know any better. It was not their fault, and yet they made the best of things, and for the situations they were put in, I felt were very well mannered and behaved children.
Bob was an American soldier, fought in Vietnam and had decided he liked life in the Philippines and decided to stay. He soon fell head over heals for a women, someone who was untouchable, and not within his social status. Things were different in their culture, but Bob was going to find a way. Everyone loved him, and wanted to be just like the talk blonde haired American. He had a way with words, and often had American goods to share. Coca Cola and cigarettes were often coveted.
Bob found a way to marry this woman, Lily and soon they had children and he swept her off to America. He wanted his kids raised the American way, and besides he had family there. But there was motive behind this, and soon Lily’s life was a horror she didn’t ever think would have happened.
Lily was able to find a way to get her and the kids back to the Philippines and was able to get help from her family to get back on her feet, back into her families lives and to give her kids, by now four of them, the life she always wanted them to have. Life was great, she had her own coffee shop, the children were well behaved and she had been able to escape what could have been a very bad, long, hard life.
Bob asked to take the kids to lunch one day. He would have them back shortly, and he even left her some phone numbers and a list of people who would also be there. Going against Lily’s gut, she said yes after having said no for years. So off, the four of them went with Bob. Off to a lunch that was full of lies.
He took the four kids and fled to America, where the four of them quickly learned their lives were going to be different and there would not be routine, and safety. But anger and constant moving and fear of what was going to happen next. For the next four years, the five of them moved from house to house, city to city, state to state. The kids were bounced from school to school, and mother figure to mother figure often being told to pack up within minutes because they had to leave.
This is an amazing story about the resilience of these four children, who often had to care for themselves and grow up very quickly. Never knowing when they were getting their next meal, or where they where they were going to lay their head that night, they stuck together. Helped and relied on each other to make it through each day, and tried to keep hope that one day they would see their mother again.
This was a very interesting read! It was one crazy adventure after another, and to think that he dragged these four children around like he did is sad. He was quite the swindler and often took advantage of anyone willing to lend a hand, or money or anything of value. It was amazing that theses children always seemed to look at the good in each situation.
A read for fans of The Glass Castle and To the Moon and Back. I want to thank She Writes Press and the author for the free book that I won off of giveaway hosted on Facebook. I really got sucked into this novel and read it within a day. I wanted to know what happened next.
Bob was an American soldier, fought in Vietnam and had decided he liked life in the Philippines and decided to stay. He soon fell head over heals for a women, someone who was untouchable, and not within his social status. Things were different in their culture, but Bob was going to find a way. Everyone loved him, and wanted to be just like the talk blonde haired American. He had a way with words, and often had American goods to share. Coca Cola and cigarettes were often coveted.
Bob found a way to marry this woman, Lily and soon they had children and he swept her off to America. He wanted his kids raised the American way, and besides he had family there. But there was motive behind this, and soon Lily’s life was a horror she didn’t ever think would have happened.
Lily was able to find a way to get her and the kids back to the Philippines and was able to get help from her family to get back on her feet, back into her families lives and to give her kids, by now four of them, the life she always wanted them to have. Life was great, she had her own coffee shop, the children were well behaved and she had been able to escape what could have been a very bad, long, hard life.
Bob asked to take the kids to lunch one day. He would have them back shortly, and he even left her some phone numbers and a list of people who would also be there. Going against Lily’s gut, she said yes after having said no for years. So off, the four of them went with Bob. Off to a lunch that was full of lies.
He took the four kids and fled to America, where the four of them quickly learned their lives were going to be different and there would not be routine, and safety. But anger and constant moving and fear of what was going to happen next. For the next four years, the five of them moved from house to house, city to city, state to state. The kids were bounced from school to school, and mother figure to mother figure often being told to pack up within minutes because they had to leave.
This is an amazing story about the resilience of these four children, who often had to care for themselves and grow up very quickly. Never knowing when they were getting their next meal, or where they where they were going to lay their head that night, they stuck together. Helped and relied on each other to make it through each day, and tried to keep hope that one day they would see their mother again.
This was a very interesting read! It was one crazy adventure after another, and to think that he dragged these four children around like he did is sad. He was quite the swindler and often took advantage of anyone willing to lend a hand, or money or anything of value. It was amazing that theses children always seemed to look at the good in each situation.
A read for fans of The Glass Castle and To the Moon and Back. I want to thank She Writes Press and the author for the free book that I won off of giveaway hosted on Facebook. I really got sucked into this novel and read it within a day. I wanted to know what happened next.
Read
August 19, 2020This memoir will touch your heart and make you hope. Little Veronica is a brave storyteller and a tiny hero. She will give you insight into the lives of so many families in similarly sorry situations and encourage you to think differently about the courage of children.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/08/18/have-...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2020/08/18/have-...
August 7, 2020
When Veronica was only 8 years old, her father kidnapped her and her four siblings taking them from the Philippines to the United States. Moving from state to state to avoid getting caught, they lived a life of fear and abuse with their father. Her memoir of this horrible experience is a moving, emotional story that is hard to put down.
This book is so filled with emotion, as a reader, I was pulled into the story, but as a human being, a mom, a sister, a daughter…I was INVESTED in the story. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering of a mother finding that all of her children have been kidnapped in one fell swoop. For children to have to go through an experience like this is awful. I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen!
I felt every loss, every sadness that the children felt. I felt the mother’s utter elation when they were reunited. The author did a wonderful job of bringing the reader into her story and telling it so well. I flew through this book. It’s a short page count, at only 296 pages, however, it was her writing that made the book go by so quickly. It’s written very well and pieced together to tell the story fluidly.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful memoir that was able to bring hope and joy into a harrowing story. The balance of emotions within the storytelling was perfect, and it made the book easy and enjoyable to read.
Content Warnings:
Kidnapping, abuse, child endangerment.
To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend Have You Seen These Children? to readers that enjoy emotional memoirs!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/all-boo...
This book is so filled with emotion, as a reader, I was pulled into the story, but as a human being, a mom, a sister, a daughter…I was INVESTED in the story. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering of a mother finding that all of her children have been kidnapped in one fell swoop. For children to have to go through an experience like this is awful. I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen!
I felt every loss, every sadness that the children felt. I felt the mother’s utter elation when they were reunited. The author did a wonderful job of bringing the reader into her story and telling it so well. I flew through this book. It’s a short page count, at only 296 pages, however, it was her writing that made the book go by so quickly. It’s written very well and pieced together to tell the story fluidly.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful memoir that was able to bring hope and joy into a harrowing story. The balance of emotions within the storytelling was perfect, and it made the book easy and enjoyable to read.
Content Warnings:
Kidnapping, abuse, child endangerment.
To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend Have You Seen These Children? to readers that enjoy emotional memoirs!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/all-boo...
September 9, 2020
I sat down to read this book, and didn’t stop until I was finished 5 hours later. That’s how captivating the story was. I read it in one sitting.
Why was it so captivating? The memoir was very well written. Also the story itself was so shocking, so different from my experiences, so sad and so happy.
It's written from the point of view of her 8 year old self which makes it unique amongst memoirs. Most memoirs are an adult telling a story of when they were a kid. This reads as a kid writing a story of something that just recently happened.
I couldn’t wait to turn the next page and find out what happened. Reading the parts about life in the Philippines was interesting too because I don’t know anything about that. Be prepared to feel all the feels when you read this memoir.
I feel like Veronica needed to tell the story to properly deal with what she went through. I’m sure it was like therapy for her.
Why was it so captivating? The memoir was very well written. Also the story itself was so shocking, so different from my experiences, so sad and so happy.
It's written from the point of view of her 8 year old self which makes it unique amongst memoirs. Most memoirs are an adult telling a story of when they were a kid. This reads as a kid writing a story of something that just recently happened.
I couldn’t wait to turn the next page and find out what happened. Reading the parts about life in the Philippines was interesting too because I don’t know anything about that. Be prepared to feel all the feels when you read this memoir.
I feel like Veronica needed to tell the story to properly deal with what she went through. I’m sure it was like therapy for her.
November 30, 2024
It's no stretch to say you were not quite a father
But the donor of seeds to a poor, abandoned mother
just a kid in in the suburbs of Denver
Standing in line for Thanksgiving dinner
At the Catholic church, the servers wore crosses
To shield from the sufferance plaguing the others
Styrofoam plates, cafeteria tables
Charity reeks of neglect and pity
And I'm thinking of you, I do every year
When we count all our blessings, and I wonder what we're doing here
You're a disgrace to the concept of family
The priest won't divulge that fact in his speech
And I'll stand up and scream if the mourning remains quiet
You can deck out a lie in a suit, but I won't buy it
I won't join in the procession that's speaking their piece
Using five-dollar words while praising his integrity
And just cause he's gone, it doesn't change the fact
He was a bastard in life, thus a bastard in death, yeah
Death Cab For Cutie
But the donor of seeds to a poor, abandoned mother
just a kid in in the suburbs of Denver
Standing in line for Thanksgiving dinner
At the Catholic church, the servers wore crosses
To shield from the sufferance plaguing the others
Styrofoam plates, cafeteria tables
Charity reeks of neglect and pity
And I'm thinking of you, I do every year
When we count all our blessings, and I wonder what we're doing here
You're a disgrace to the concept of family
The priest won't divulge that fact in his speech
And I'll stand up and scream if the mourning remains quiet
You can deck out a lie in a suit, but I won't buy it
I won't join in the procession that's speaking their piece
Using five-dollar words while praising his integrity
And just cause he's gone, it doesn't change the fact
He was a bastard in life, thus a bastard in death, yeah
Death Cab For Cutie
October 10, 2020
Powerful Bond of a Family
I read this book without stopping. Veronica shares her experiences as if she were going through them again as a child. I was drawn into this story as a mother, a sister, a daughter... countless episodes of trauma as well as triumph. I could see myself in each one of these roles - horrified by what a mother might have endured with her children stolen from her... Protective of my siblings... loving a father even though he caused his children harm. How four children survived recurring trauma by staying united with resilience and an incredible bond - it's heartwarming, beautiful, and hopeful. The author has risen above all that she endured and gives a true testament to the meaning of love.
I read this book without stopping. Veronica shares her experiences as if she were going through them again as a child. I was drawn into this story as a mother, a sister, a daughter... countless episodes of trauma as well as triumph. I could see myself in each one of these roles - horrified by what a mother might have endured with her children stolen from her... Protective of my siblings... loving a father even though he caused his children harm. How four children survived recurring trauma by staying united with resilience and an incredible bond - it's heartwarming, beautiful, and hopeful. The author has risen above all that she endured and gives a true testament to the meaning of love.
February 6, 2022
Incredible memoir of survival, a mother’s love, youth, tightly woven sibling bonds, immigrant resilience, and hope. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in 2 days in which I felt the entire gamut of emotions. A unique perspective throughout the lifetime of young, kidnapped children going through the unimaginable and how it uniquely shaped each child and ultimately molded their entire lives in different ways. Fantastic read!
May 18, 2022
Couldn't put it down. Plus written by a Veronica :-)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews