|
| Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope | 
 enlarge | Authors: Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak
Creator: Mark Tabb
Publisher: Howard Books
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy Used: $2.30
You Save: $19.69 (90%)
New (56) Used (71) Collectible (3) from $2.30
Avg. Customer Rating:  131 reviews
Sales Rank: 5100
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.3
ISBN: 1416567356
Dewey Decimal Number: 617.4810440922
EAN: 9781416567356
ASIN: 1416567356
Publication Date: March 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 100% GUARANTEED! Fast shipping on more than 1,000,000 Book, Video, Video Game & Music titles all in one location! Discover Your Entertainment at goHastings.
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Meet Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak: one buried under the wrong name, one in a coma and being cared for by the wrong family.This shocking case of mistaken identity stunned the country and made national news. Would it destroy a family? Shatter their faith? Push two families into bitterness, resentment, and guilt? Read this unprecedented story of two traumatized families who describe their ordeal and explore the bond sustaining and uniting them as they deal with their bizarre reversal of life lost and life found. And join Whitney Cerak, the sole surviving student, as she comes to terms with her new identity, forever altered, yet on the brink of new beginnings. Mistaken Identity weaves a complex tale of honesty, vulnerability, loss, hope, faith, and love in the face of one of the strangest twists of circumstances imaginable.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 126 more reviews...
 A TESTIMONIAL OF GOD'S LOVE November 22, 2008
Wow, what a story and a testimonial to God's words and a test of faith. I live in Indiana and I was quite moved by this story. I was, however, surprised when I heard a book was being made about this story since the families openly stated their strong opinion against the media. But obviously, both families came around and warmed up to the media when the bills started rolling in.
It's pretty hard to believe that a hospital would allow a NON family member to identify a body. I guess that this is where this whole dilemma started. I can understand why the mother would not want to see the body of "her" deceased daughter, but it's absolutely horrifying to know that some hospitals allow ANYONE to identify a body - YIKES ! Historically, and for a good reason, a family member makes the identification - and this story is the perfect reason for it. So I'm sure this incident has changed their policies on the way this happened. You definitely cannot blame the EMS because they were simply treating horrific wounds in darkness where victims were thrown from vehicles.
It's a good read -- for the most part --a little hard to follow because the author(s) included too many names that were insignificant to the reader that made it confusing to keep track of who was who.
I thought it was of good taste to include many exerts from the Bible since this occurrence was a true testimony of faith as God's words as the power source. I can't imagine the pain and joy this family went through and it was a great idea to treat the book in such a way.
The author(s) did make a strong statement and it definitely made me think about my own faith. I believe that most people will question the strength of their own faith when you compare it to the faith of both of these families.
I feel for all of those involved. I pray Whitney continues to get her true personality back and that God blesses her in her life. Both families still need continued prayer.
 Our God is an Awesome God October 24, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book has helped build my faith, not only in God, but also God in us as Christians. These families have allowed us to come along side them on this journey. They are both so "real", and yet faithful.
A Great Read October 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was one that I could not put down. Even though I knew the outcome, it was still inspiring to read.
 A fascinating window into the religion-addled mind. October 15, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I started this book expecting to learn more about an intriguing and unusual tragedy. By the time I had finished, I found myself far more interested in people's incredible capacity to ignore the truth that's staring them in the face.
Am I the only one or have others been struck by the following parallels?
The Van Ryn family, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, spend five weeks sticking to their belief that their daughter is alive. They are unquestioning in this belief, and when odd things are noticed (her teeth are different, she talks about people they don't know, she gives the wrong name) they still don't question this belief; instead they make excuses (her neurons are misfiring) or they ignore things completely. It takes a particularly persistent family friend to force them to finally confront the truth and acknowledge that they were wrong.
Both families, in the face of growing evidence to the contrary, stick to their belief in a benevolent and loving deity. They all hold the somewhat conflicting beliefs that there is a god who is watching over them, that this god has a plan for them, that he has their best interests at heart, and that he listens to and responds to their prayers. That they believe this absolutely seems clear: in the midst of the tragedy all protagonists spend valuable hours poring over the bible and praying and they undoubtedly derive comfort from this. However, I find it interesting that, as devastating event after devastating event unfolds, nobody questions their beliefs. Quite the opposite in fact: the authors and family members all claim that the events provide further evidence for the existence of a loving god.
I can't help wondering whether a less faithful and more rational family would have taken a little less time to realise their mistake at the hospital...
I'm giving two stars, but if I could I would give this book a dual zero / four star rating.
Zero stars would be for the book the authors intended to write: the book that shows the wondrous way that God operates and inspires renewed faith in all readers.
Four stars would be the unintended study of the psychology of evangelical Christians. It was fascinating, eye-opening and not a little horrifying.
 A Story of Hope and Faith Amidst Tragedy September 25, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a touching book about two families caught up in a tragedy that no one should ever have to live through. It is not about the gory details so much as it is about how their Christian faith got them through. Due to all the religious references throughout, those who do not share their intense Christian faith might be disappointed by this book. It doesn't really dwell on the complex feelings that surround the death of a loved one. Their faith is so strong that they don't have time to dwell on much else. And I realize that everyone reacts to death in a different way. Right up front, you need to know that this is only the Van Ryns' and the Ceraks' experience.
There are some technical writing/grammar issues here and there and yet I found the story so amazingly powerful that I was able to ignore that. The way the book was set up was near-perfect. I've read books like this before that sort of wander all over the place but this was very straight-forward and to the point. It begins with the phone call where the Ceraks learn that Whitney is still alive and then it goes back in time to the night of the accident. From there on out, it switches back and forth between the two families as they explain what life was like for them after April 26, 2006 (the day of the accident). The alternating family viewpoints don't always match-up time-wise, but I found the book to be fairly easy to follow. I found the final page of the final chapter to be a moving end to a well-told story of faith and hope amidst unimaginable heartbreak. The final chapter was followed by an epilogue, written by Whitney.
Yes, there were times when I wondered if the family members were relating back to the reader what they were feeling exactly at each moment in time. I kind of wondered if some of what they claimed to be feeling at the time was really what they were feeling as they wrote the book, a year or so after the fact. I can't even begin to imagine what an experience like that must have been like, so I don't want to pretend like I do. All I know is that there were times when I wondered, "Is that really how it happened or is that only how she remembers it now that she's had time to think it over?" I'm not saying this to criticize them. I'm sure they did the best they could to describe what it was like. It couldn't have been easy. Far from it. I just say that because I want to warn people that it might seem unbelievable at times. And it is a story that is unbelievable anyway, though we know these events are what happened. For the most part, I thought they did a very good job describing what it was like to go through the things they went through. But like I said before, it must be hard to describe exactly how it felt and everyone deals with tragedy differently anyway. I think the emotional heart of the story remains intact, even though the book seems to gloss over the complexities of the grieving process. I think it's possible they didn't want to get into the nitty-gritty of everything they were thinking, and you know, if that's the case, that's fine. I respect that. The important thing is that they are trying to make the best of a horrible situation. For that alone, I admire them. I think if you're looking for an honest look at the grieving process, you might question this book. I think what you have to do is take this not as a blueprint to follow precisely so much as an offering of hope and a challenge to reach out to others even when its hard. As Christians do believe, no one is perfect and all anyone can do is try their best.
I don't agree with those who complain about all the religious references. I understand where people are coming from. But remember, this is the Van Ryns' and the Ceraks' story, as they lived it. Not as the reader wishes it to be told. In a day and age when the gut reaction is to sue the pants off anyone and everyone, it is refreshing to read a book like this where the two families had every reason in the world to feel bitterness and anger and yet chose hope over blame. That is really what makes this book the powerful story that it is. It was faith that allowed them to do that. Yeah, you could argue that non-Christians are capable of that too, but they're not writing about a non-Christian's experience. They're writing about their own. Better to write fully about their own than to spread themselves thin and try to write about everyone's. And there's no reason to indulge in all the little sensationalistic details for the sake of satisfying the public's curiosity. And if they'd toned down the faith angle so as to appeal to a larger audience, that would have been dishonest. It's faith that got them through this so why should they pretend otherwise? It's easy enough to keep your interviews neutral when you only have to give a basic summary of what happened. But when writing an entire book, it's a little harder to do that. To be honest, I don't think they could have even really explained how the mix-up happened, beyond giving us the answers that everyone already knew. I think it's one of those things that you just live through and you'll never fully understand how or why it happened. So all we can really say is that it's something that can and should be avoided in the future. And it was very touching to see how these two families saw it as an opportunity to grow in their faith and bond with someone they might not have otherwise. And they used this as an opportunity to reach out to others. They didn't have to. Nobody forced them to write this book. They chose to. They weren't obligated to write it in any way but the way they did. They only had a responsibility to be as truthful about their own experience as they could be. They included everything they could reasonably be expected to include. It's just that you can't please everyone, nor should you try to.
I gave it a four but it's more of a 3 1/2. I would recommend it, but I realize there are probably lots of people who wouldn't really appreciate it. I can't claim it will be liked by everyone.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
