There is something about the loss of a child that everyone takes to heart. A lot of suffering happens in the world, but when it involves a child it touches everyone all the more and it is tolerated all the less. Empty Cradleis the writer's personal recollection of the time leading up to and surrounding the abduction of her newborn infant, just days before Christmas. This story is based on a true crime -- dates, times, and details were researched from media sources, court documents, and police records. A timeline of the mother and the kidnapper are shown separately, from childhood to adulthood, until the two paths crossed, resulting in the cataclysmic event. The narrative provides an intense sense of drama that leaves the reader anxiously waiting to learn the final outcome.