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| Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Don Van Ryn, Susie Van Ryn, Newell Cerak, Colleen Cerak, Whitney Cerak
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
Buy New: $32.50
You Save: $0.45 (1%)
New (14) Used (4) from $30.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  131 reviews
Sales Rank: 1455005
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 363
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 1410408965
Dewey Decimal Number: 617.4810440922
EAN: 9781410408969
ASIN: 1410408965
Publication Date: August 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Four and a half stars -- not great literature, but an amazing compelling story September 23, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Believe it or not, I came to this book through a TV show. What's really ironic about that is I don't even have TV. My boyfriend and I run a bookstore, and most of our time, energy, and focus is caught up with books and the day-to-day needs of our business. Why bother paying for TV when most of it is junk, and we don't have time anyway? We do, however, like "House", and so we rent the DVDs. I saw an episode from Season 4 -- I believe it was the opening episode -- about two young women who worked in an office building that collapsed. I won't give everything away, but suffice it to say, their identities were mixed up. I talked to a friend about how much that episode touched me, stayed with me, had me reflecting on it for days. She suggested this book.
The story seems unbelieveable, as many people have said -- more like a storyline for a TV show or a movie than something that could really happen in real life.
I hate to join in the "circus-for-free" syndrome that we seem to have, almost helpless to turn our eyes away from the accident scene, the smoke pouring out the windows of the burning building, the crumbled buildings and bodies left in the wake of the latest disaster shown on the news. Nevertheless, this story was so compelling. I had to known more about what transpired, what the families went through, how the mix-up happened. I believe and respect that the only reason these families agreed to write their blog, do some media interviews, and eventually do this book was the opportunity to share their faith.
I grew up in the church, but I have often stayed on the perimeter, uncomfortable with so many things done and said in the name of Christianity. I am often uncomfortable with stories as heavily evangelical as this. In this case, I was so proud of the Van Ryns and the Ceraks. They are living their faith, and sharing it beyond "the shadow of the valley of Death", being content in all things because of the One who strengthens them, tested like Job. I was not "turned off" this story by how much they told it by faith. I was deeply touched.
it's not as good as i thought September 15, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
i got this book to learn more about this tragic accident and how whitney is dong not but it didn't fufil my expections it was reallg good adn really detaild but almost too much in some areas this book is defintley for evangelicle christans because their is a lot of prayers adn refernces to the bible so be prepared for that. i have osay that i am not one to read books fast and a person that can't put a book down and this is one of the few i couldn't put dowm i read it in 2.5 days
 Interesting theme September 9, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The story line of this book is fascinating and intriguing. It evokes many strong emotions as you walk through the events these families lived through. One is drawn into the theme right from the beginning and the book holds your attention throughout. As I read about Laura in the hospital and how many times people questioned many things that did not add up, it baffled me as to how this family could have been so blind to not have recognized that this girl was not theirs sooner. They seemed to be in some kind of fog or deluded state even though they claim to be such strong Christians throughout. Several inferences were made about the discrepancies of the girl not being Laura such as a mysterious navel piercing none of her family knew of, the bag of clothes and type of shoes not being hers that were given to the family very early on and were never questioned. Even when Laura began opening her mouth they noticed her teeth were not the same but continued to remain ignorant. Understandably, she was bandaged and injured when they first saw her, but as she healed and her face became more recognizable, those closest to her seemed to be out to lunch somewhere, still not perceiving all those signs that it was not Laura. It really becomes ludicrous that these people could be so ignorant and prolong this ordeal in such an odd way. The family of Whitney did not go in to identify her body either, so all these behaviors seem a bit askew in the real world. I do not comprehend this kind of behavior given my own personality and curiosity about things. Even Aunt Ruthann, a distant relative seemed to know right away, so how could the closest family members not recognize that this was not their daughter after being with her day and night constantly for five weeks? I will quote the one section that was most profound: "Ruthann scrunched up her face like she had bitten into something sour. I don't care what anyone says, that doesn't look like Laura to me." Even then nobody followed through on investigating this girl's identity time and time again. Their portrayed strong faith in God makes it seem like a bit of a travesty that he would put them through all these things needlessly and they remain oblivious. It is hard for me to believe in their continued concepts of God and their religious beliefs. They do tend to deal with the tragedies they are going through with faith and even humor at times. The way that total strangers showed up to help the family with housing, food and water, even neighbors mowing their lawn while they were away from home was astounding, it really restores ones faith in mankind helping when needed. The book could have been written in a more interesting style; the emotions of those involved could have been more clearly conveyed. Overall, it is a good read and one that really stirs up your emotions and thinking processes, it is almost borderline on being a mystery.
My Review September 2, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Mistaken identity was a story of two women, one killed tragically and one hurt and comatose. I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. I think at first it is a story about how trauma can put you in denial and question what is right in front of you, but then once acceptance is obtained, it shows how strength is drawn from faith and friends and love of family. These were two amazing families. I honestly cannot imagine the trauma that they both went through. An amazing story and an easy read. It makes you appreciate every moment of life.
Hope overcomes tragedy September 1, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I bought this book months ago, but kept putting it off for some reason. Yesterday I decided to pick it up and read. I had watched an interview months before with the two families explaining the situation and I wanted to know more. I was amazed by the reactions and the support given to both families during their time of need. I could barely put the book down and actually finished it in less than a day, which is more than I can say for other books. I think you don't even have to be religious to understand whats going on in the book because you go through this process with the families. It was amazing to read how both families pushed through and put on a positive face. Its also sad to have to read about one family finding out that the girl they thought was there own was actually someone else's. I especially felt sad when Aryn, who was going to propose to Laura after graduation, wrote his last blog. He seemed to be the most broken out of everyone in the family because he wanted to have a future with Laura. Its extremely brave of both families to handle the situation in a great way. They didn't feel a need to sue the man who was driving the truck that caused the accident, but instead would have just liked to know what really happened. This book was truly inspiring.
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