The Kidnapping of Aaron Greene
by Terry Kay
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Aaron Greene is a shy, stay-in-the-background young Jewish boy, the child of shy, stay-in-the-background parents. Only a year out of high school, he has a part-time job as a mailboy in a large Atlanta bank. One morning, on his way to work, he is kidnapped and the kidnappers demand a ransom of ten million dollars - not from his parents, but from the bank that employs him.The bank rejects the demand.And what begins as a curious crime - the abduction of an unknown, a nobody - soon ignites a show more national crusade for Aaron's safe return, because everyone, in one way or another, understands what it is like to be a nobody.For the kidnappers, the money has no meaning. The mastermind, Ewell Pender, is a wealthy eccentric, an elderly board member of the bank, yet also the man who organizes the campaign to raise Aaron's ransom. His criminal associates are young nonconformists, dreamers and daredevils. Keeping Aaron in the luxury of the Pender mansion is, to them, a clever and teasing adventure. For Aaron, it is not life-threatening; it is life-changing.Caught in the mystery is a journalist who unwittingly is used as a pawn by the kidnappers to tell Aaron's story, and also a detective who bends rules and follows his instinct as much as his training. For both, the kidnapping reveals a profound understanding of their own lives in the complex workings of the world around them.Richly written, driven by baffling twists in plot, and featuring powerful portrayals of memorable characters, The Kidnapping of Aaron Greene goes beyond the elements of a classic crime. It is an experiment in human manipulation and behavior, and a riveting study of the passions and apathy historically exhibited by society. show lessTags
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Aaron Greene is an 18 year old 'nobody'. Although he only graduated from high school a year ago none of the students or the teachers have any recollection of him except that he was a quiet boy who stayed to himself. Now he has a 'nobody' job; he is the mail boy at a large and prestigious bank in Atlanta and most of the presonnel have never laid eyes on him. So why is Aaron targeted by kidnappers? And these are no ordinary kinappers. Aaron is kept in an enormous mansion, fed gourmet meals, sleeps in a lavishly appointed bedroom with it's own library attached, and is generally treated kindly by the people who live there. Aaron is told up front that he will never be harmed and will be returned home soon.
Aaron's fate triggers deep emotions show more across the country when the kidnappers demand a 10 million dollar ransom from the bank. The bank's board of directors meet and unanimously decide to refuse payment. Unamimous except for one member, Ewell Pender, who also happens to be the owner of the mansion and the leader of the kidnappers. The local media throw out the question - "If the victim were the bank president and not merely the mail-boy would the bank still refuse?"
The characters in this book were wonderful and the story was so well written. There is suspense, romance and a great deal of irony. My rating was heading steadily towards an almighty 5 stars but the ending was a bit strange; I don't think it answered the 'why' very well. I will definitely read more of Mr. Kay's novels probably starting with "To Dance With The White Dog." show less
Aaron's fate triggers deep emotions show more across the country when the kidnappers demand a 10 million dollar ransom from the bank. The bank's board of directors meet and unanimously decide to refuse payment. Unamimous except for one member, Ewell Pender, who also happens to be the owner of the mansion and the leader of the kidnappers. The local media throw out the question - "If the victim were the bank president and not merely the mail-boy would the bank still refuse?"
The characters in this book were wonderful and the story was so well written. There is suspense, romance and a great deal of irony. My rating was heading steadily towards an almighty 5 stars but the ending was a bit strange; I don't think it answered the 'why' very well. I will definitely read more of Mr. Kay's novels probably starting with "To Dance With The White Dog." show less
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19+ Works 1,817 Members
Terry Kay was born February 10, 1938 in Royston, Georgia. He grew up there and became a well-known novelist. Perhaps his most well-known book is To Dance with the White Dog, which was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in 1983. He is also the author of such best-selling works as Dark Thirty, show more Shadow Song, After Eli, and The Runaway, which was adapted for the screen. He won an Emmy for his screenplay Run Down the Rabbit. Kay's novel The Valley of Light won the 2004 Townsend Prize for Fiction and was also adapted for the screen. He won the 1981 Georgia Author of the Year Award for After Eli, and the Southeastern Library Association named him Outstanding Author of the Year in 1991 for To Dance with the White Dog. He published The Book of Marie in 2007. His last book, The Forever Wish of Middy Sweet, was published in August 2020. Terry Kay died on December 12, 2020 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) Terry Kay, Terry Kay grew up in Royston, Georgia on a farm that had no electricity. He was an entertainment reporter at the Atlanta Journal where he reviewed over 300 films a year. Needing more money, he took the position as creative director for a television and film development company. That job lasted a year, and he went on to public relations. Kay wrote the bestseller "To Dance with the White Dog," which Kay describes as "more of a translation of what had happened in my family than the creation of a book," and "The Kidnapping of Aaron Greene." Aaron Greene is a shy teenager who works as a mail boy at a bank and whose family could never afford the ten million dollars his captors are demanding. The story tells of the philosophical motives the kidnappers have for this unlikely abduction, which sets off a nationwide frenzy to find this average boy. Terry Kay published 18 books, including a collection of essays, and two children's books. His last book, The Forever Wish of Middy Sweet, was published in August 2020. He died on December 12, 2020 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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