Joyce B. (tripletmom) -
Helpful Score: 5
Unbelievable true story of 2 young women who were misidentified after a horrible car accident. One was killed, the other seriously injured. The mix up is not discoved until much later, after one has been burried & another family has kept a constant vigile praying for their daughter to wake up. Easy reading. Read it very quickly.
Keri (TXGrobanite) reviewed Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope on + 270 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I read this book a few days ago and just am now getting ready to post my review-it has stuck with me and I just can't get over what these two families went through (as well as the whole town). It is amazing that the Van Ryn's can forgive the hospital for mistaking Whitney for their daughter. It is also neat that the two families remain friends after what happened. Also includes several pages of pictures of both families and of Whitney in the hospital. Highly recommended but have tissues ready!!
Stephanie W. (StephanieW) -
Helpful Score: 4
My brother-in-law is a senior at Taylor University and knew all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. That said, this book is a very poignant look at an identity mix-up that had jarring consequences for each family involved. It's a rather short read, especially if you know all of the details, but offers insight that the television crews and cameras failed to capture.
Even questions that most people have asked about this story since it broke: "TWO families didn't know the identity of their own daughters?!" and "One girl had a belly-button ring and the other had a different eye color; they didn't even look alike. How could this have happened?" and "Was the Van Ryn family in denial about the true identity of the girl they were taking care, even after the hints Cerak gave, because they didn't want to face the knowledge their own daughter had died?" are mostly answered in this book. Some of the answers given by both families seem a bit naive at times, but ultimately come off as believable.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, true story. While God is mentioned and both families are Christian, the book appeals to those beyond a religious audience. I highly recommend this.
(On a sidenote: I know that the two families are devout Christians, and though I know it is none of my business, I am wondering if they are all profiting from the book and media attention? As a Christian, I can't imagine profiting from such a tragedy, unless to cover medical care. Nonetheless, it's still a great read.)
Even questions that most people have asked about this story since it broke: "TWO families didn't know the identity of their own daughters?!" and "One girl had a belly-button ring and the other had a different eye color; they didn't even look alike. How could this have happened?" and "Was the Van Ryn family in denial about the true identity of the girl they were taking care, even after the hints Cerak gave, because they didn't want to face the knowledge their own daughter had died?" are mostly answered in this book. Some of the answers given by both families seem a bit naive at times, but ultimately come off as believable.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, true story. While God is mentioned and both families are Christian, the book appeals to those beyond a religious audience. I highly recommend this.
(On a sidenote: I know that the two families are devout Christians, and though I know it is none of my business, I am wondering if they are all profiting from the book and media attention? As a Christian, I can't imagine profiting from such a tragedy, unless to cover medical care. Nonetheless, it's still a great read.)
Tara T. (tarataylor) - , reviewed Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope on + 107 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
WOW! This book was amazing! I remember following this story as it was happening and was appalled by the turn of events in these two families lives. This book is a must read. The reader really gets to know these two families and the horrific experiences that they lived through. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 4
I wanted to see the Prime Time Edition Special about this, but unfortunately I had other plans that night. Anyway, I thought that this book was hearbreaking, insightful and just a good read. I suppose that sounds strange considering the circumstances, but there is still a lot of hope in this fine book. I would suggest that anybody who has had had some kind of pain in their life should read this.
