The story "Dear Child" is a psychological thriller about a woman named Lena Beck who has been missing for 13 to 14 years, along with two children. They were held captive in a windowless house by a man named Lars Rogner, who forced Lena to be his "wife" and bear his children. The narrative begins when Lena manages to escape with one of the children but is severely injured in a hit- and-run accident. This event triggers the reopening of a cold missing persons case. The series and book explore the trauma and psychological effects of captivity from the victim's perspective rather than focusing on the perpetrator. It delves into the complex dynamics of the family formed under captivity, the inner and outer prisons the victims endure, and the struggle to regain freedom and identity. The story also reveals twists, such as another woman, Jasmin Grass, who was kidnapped to replace Lena and eventually escapes with one of the children. The plot is tense, dark, and emotionally intense, focusing on survival, identity, and the aftermath of trauma

. "Dear Child" was originally a bestselling German novel by Romy Hausmann and has been adapted into a six-episode German thriller series on Netflix, praised for its suspenseful and psychological depth