"Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother's Disappearance as a Child," by Laura Cumming
In this short but compelling book, Laura Cumming slowly uncovers her mother Betty's history. Betty was born on the coast of Lincolnshire, England, in 1926 and was adopted by a childless couple, but she was never told her background. Many years later she learned she had been kidnapped at age 3 as she played on Chapel Sands beach, then found days later wearing different clothing. Why is there no record of her adoption? Why do her adoptive parents keep her separated from the other villagers (who seem to know more about Betty than she does)?
The author muses over old photos and artwork, doggedly chases down people who lived in Chapel St. Leonards, and eventually unravels the mystery.
I opened this book (titled "On Chapel Sands" in England) assuming it was a crime novel, but it was so much more than that — a tale of families and social mores, along with history of that part of England in the first half of the 20th century, everything coming together in the end. I loved it.
Jennie Hakes, Aitkin, Minn.
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