Dear Child (book)

"Dear Child” (originally: "Liebes Kind") is a 2019 psychological thriller novel by German writer Romy Hausmann.

The main character, Lena Beck, is a young woman who was missing for 14 years. When Lena is hit by a car and taken to the hospital with her young daughter, her father is contacted. When he arrives, he says that she is not his daughter, but DNA tests confirm that her two children are his biological grandchildren. Eventually, it is revealed that Lena’s captor, a man called Lars Rogner, abducted her, locked her in a secluded cabin without windows for years, and forced her to be his wife and birth his children. Shortly after Lena gave birth to their third child, both the child and mother passed away. A devastated Lars, who claimed to truly love Lena, kidnapped another woman named Jasmin Grass to replace Lena and assume her identity. Jasmin adopted the role for four months in captivity in order to survive, but she was able to knock Lars unconscious and escape with Lena's daughter. Near the house, Jasmin is hit by a car and then taken to the hospital. Despite still grappling with the physical and psychological effects of what she’s experienced, Jasmin convinces the police she’s stable enough to return home. Once back in her apartment, Jasmin realizes the profound psychological toll the abduction has really taken, while remaining fearful of leaving her home and struggling to maintain a grasp on reality.

The book was made into a Netflix miniseries in 2023.