Christian Retailing

Dekker reveals story of real 'BoneMan' who stole daughter Print Email
Written by Staff   
Wednesday, 15 April 2009 02:23 PM America/New_York
altAs Ted Dekker releases BoneMan's Daughters (Center Street), his biggest push to general market audiences, the author has revealed the intensely personal inspiration for the novel on his blog.
The book, centered around a man capturing and killing women while searching for the perfect girl (read the Christian Retailing review here), was sparked by a family drama surrounding Dekker's daughter's connection to a shady boyfriend who “stole” her from the family:

"Three days before Christmas, everything came apart, because that night my daughter informed the family that she was leaving our home to live with this monster. There are six of us in the family; five of us stood there at the door, crying, while the monster led the sixth out the front door. I can still see his face—he was carrying her suitcase and he was smiling," Dekker writes.

"My wife and I, and the other children, had all begged her not to go with him. But, like a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, she had given her heart and mind to the monster, unable to see his fangs. "

In the midst of grief and fury, Dekker poured himself into his work, creating a story about a monster who kidnaps and crushes his victims. Years later, with his daughter, Rachelle, recovered from the abusive boyfriend and set to soon marry, Dekker closes his blog with a challenge to families:

"Read the novel. Then go to your daughter, your father, your son, your mother, hold them close, and cherish them forever."