Almost Gone

Twenty-Five Days and One Chance to Save Our Daughter

By: John Baldwin, Mackenzie Baldwin, Stephanie Baldwin - introduction

Narrated by: Rebekkah Ross, Cassandra Campbell, Kirby Heyborne

This is the never-before-told, riveting true story about a teenage Christian girl who was seduced online by a charming young Muslim man from Kosovo, and her father who ultimately worked with the FBI to save her from disappearing forever.

The Baldwins were a strong Christian family living in Plano, Texas. When their 17-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, met Aadam in a random-match online chat room, she fell for his good looks, his charm, and his respectful conversation. He told her he lived in New York, and they began an online friendship.

But over the course of a few months, Aadam revealed that he actually lived in Kosovo and had only pretended to live in New York so Mackenzie would keep chatting with him. The more attached she became to Aadam, the more detached she became from her family.

John and Stephanie, Mackenzie's parents, had no clue what was behind their daughter's change in personality, her surprising interest in Islam, her suddenly modest dress, and her withdrawal from friends and family. When Mackenzie's attachment to Aadam increased even more and they became "engaged", she started making plans to secretly fly to Kosovo, where she and Aadam would be married.

But 25 days before Mackenzie was scheduled to fly to Kosovo, John found out about his daughter's dangerous plan when three of her friends came forward. John contacted the FBI and asked for help. Though the FBI did not believe Aadam was trying to radicalize Mackenzie, they were concerned about his intentions, as that part of Kosovo was known for sex trafficking, human trafficking, and citizenship frauds. Kosovo was no place for an unaccompanied, naïve teenager to secretly travel and marry a stranger she knew only through online chats. Within the limited time remaining before Mackenzie's departure, John and Stephanie had to confront Mackenzie and stop her before she would be lost to them forever.

Told from the viewpoint of both father and daughter, Almost Gone follows Mackenzie's network of lies and deceit and her parents' escalating bewilderment and alarm. More than a cautionary tale, this is the incredible story of unconditional parental love, unwavering faith, and how God helped a family save their daughter from a relationship that jeopardized not only her happiness but also her safety.

©2017 Joe Baldwin, Mackenzie Baldwin, and Stephanie Baldwin (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Interesting story but the audio quality is not great

I was intrigued by the story, but felt the recording was very choppy. It was almost as if they spliced all of the sentences together especially on the dads parts

Eye opening!

This is a story every parent should read. These parents showed true unconditional love. They never gave up!
I am so glad they decided to share their story.

Great story. Heavy on religious beliefs!

Great story and I am glad things turned out well for this family. It concentrates heavily on Christian belief’s and kinda paints Islam in a bad way. Other than that it was a very interesting book and I will definitely listen to it again in the future.

Great Read

Great book. Well written loving story for not only how to protect your kids from the internet but also how to just love your kids where they are right now.

amazing book

Thank you so much Mack and Parents, for writing this book. As a mother of 3, my heart hurt while I listened to your struggles. It opens your eyes to see , what all parents should talk to our kids about. Thank you so much for writing this book Mack. May GOD bless you and your family.
from New Orleans, La.

Must read for parents of teen girls

This book makes you realize that even good, smart Christian girls can be multiplied into dangerous situations even in small town America.

Riveting! Sobering! Suspenseful!

Evven though I knew from the start of the book that Mackenzie would be safe, I was genuinely fearful for her relationship throughout listening to the story. It is a sobering reminder of how easily anyone can get sucked into an online relationship that is actually addictive and unhealthy. I will recommend this book not only two parents with young children, but to anyone involved in any kind of social media relationships. It's a sobering reminder of the worst that can happen.

Excellent!

The best book I have listened to in a while! I purchased this kindle book several years ago when I heard Mackenzie on our local radio station. I am local to the DFW area too. But yesterday I saw for a little less than $8 I could purchase the Audible version with my Kindle version. I jumped on it. Started the book last night and finished this afternoon! As a mother of a teenage girl this is probably the scariest thing that could ever happen. I’m so glad everything worked out for the best for the Baldwin’s family.

Great book, all need to hear or read.

My only feedback is that the voice of Mac was annoying. Maybe it’s just that teenage girl voice sound.

Love this app!

I downloaded this app for the free 30day trial but I love it and don’t want to delete it.