Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope

by Don Van Ryn, Susie Van Ryn, Newell Cerak

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 circumstance imaginable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Christian, Memoir, Book Club, Biography Memoir, Inspirational

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 1 out of 5]

The central question of this short book was never answered. Two girls from good Christian families (much is made of this, but I can't see how the book would have been any different - other than even thinner - if they'd been atheists) were in a car crash. One was killed and buried without her parents ever seeing her presumably-mangled body. The other lived but was in a coma.

The two girls had been the same age, both blue-eyed blondes and from the pictures, quite similar-looking. There was even a picture of the girl in the hospital in a cervical collar with her hair scraped back showing her uninjured face very clearly. So the central question is, how come for five weeks the family sitting with the girl never realised it wasn't their daughter? The girl tried to tell them as soon as she could! Unless they were identical twins, this had to be people deceiving themselves, but who knows? That is the only point of the book and it is never addressed.

It would have been interesting to hear a psychologist's opinion of why parents could mistake another child for theirs. I understand the motivation is they wanted the living child to be theirs, but nonetheless, how could they have had a mutual deception this deep and long-lasting and never even had doubts as the girl healed and swelling etc. diminished, that this wasn't actually their child?

Rewritten Mar 3rd 2019

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made the mistake of reading some of the other reviews before writing my own. I am shocked by the insensitiviy and callousness of some people. It's one thing to not like the book, it's another to criticize and condemn people who have suffered through this. It seems to be a recurring theme for me lately.
Anyway, I started reading this book last night and finished it this morning. Many times I was brought to tears and inspired by the love and devotion people can have for one another. There is a lot of worshipping, and praising God and all that in this book. It really turned some people off. The thing is though, that's what has allowed these people to go through such a horror. I can honor their beliefs and I still chose to skim through some of those passages. The story itself is heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time. I would like to believe that I would know if it was my own daughter laying before me in an istance like this. However, none of us stood in their shoes, and therefore I, at least, have no authority to pass judgement.
At the end of the day several families faced horror and tragedy that night in April 2006, the Cerak and Van Ryn families just got an extra twist in theirs. I was so inspired not only by these families but by their communities' support and devotion. I could only hope that my friends, family and neighbors would show up the same way for me.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all. I was really excited to read this book- I love true stories, and what a crazy chain of events that led one family to believe that they were caring for this girl who is their daughter, sister, friend.. only to find out after 5 weeks that their daughter died in the car accident, and this is a girl they don't even know. And the other family, thinking their daughter is dead, holding a funeral and burial for her, only to find out 5 weeks later that she is alive. How does that happen??? As it turns out though, these families wrote this book to get a religious message across. Every single page of this book has a prayer, a bible verse, or some mention of their faith. Everytime they get in the car they mention the christian cd playing on the radio. They talk about their 2 hour family praying sessions every morning, and often refer to how they are just reading their bible. There is nothing wrong with that, and if thats what got them through the horrible times, then good for them.. But as a reader, I didn't want to hear about it on every single page. I just wanted the story.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was drawn to this story after seeing part of an interview on Oprah. As an avid reader of true life stories I was interested in founding out more about this tragic event. Instead I got more of a lesson on the family's version of Christianity. I am sure that the families involved are all lovely people who then shared a tragedy that I could not imagine. I also have a daughter the same age as Whitney so I felt I may have connected with the story in some way. However this book was not well written and I found that I did not get to have any emotional connection with the story at all. At times I felt that I wanted to have a scriptual discussion with the parents, but that was not why I bought the book. I have been a student of the bible for over 30yrs and my understanding of the scriptures definately is different to these families. This book was written with the purpose to promote their faith, which is fine and is their preogative, but I would not have bought it had I realised that was the case. This book would do well I am sure, sold in a specialist Christian bookstore then you would have an expectation of the story within, rather than under the biographical section at Borders. I in no way wish to direspect the families and their story by this review, but since this website is a forum for reviewing books that is what I had done. For me personally that short interview I saw on Oprah told most of the story.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself is fascinating - I remember it from the news when it happened, and as soon as I saw there was a book about it, I knew I had to read about it from the families' views.

But, but, but. Ugh. I would have LOVED the book if it hadn't been so preachy. I'm a religious person, but I don't believe in the same way that they do. And that was like 3/4 of the book...

I can understand that they used prayer and their faith as the way to deal...my son was in the hospital and I did too. But it was just SO over the top in this - EVERYTHING is about God. It was just annoying after a little while - I found myself skimming until I read an actual FACT or part of the real story instead of all the fluff religious parts. And in parts, the conversation seemed altered...like people don't really talk that way in a normal situation - in some places it just struck me as odd.

Still, the underlying story was good...I felt for the families and what they went through, and I did cry several times. I just wish it would have been more about what actually happened.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part: "At the end of the movie, Hank's character says to Private Ryan with his dying breath something like, "Earn this." It's like he's telling Private Ryan to do something so special with his life that it will make other soldiers' deaths worth it. That's the kind of how I felt when people told me how God must have some great purpose in mind for me. I started to think that if I didn't do something amazing with my life, then I was letting God and everyone in the accident down.


One day I was having coffee with a friend named Brad, and I told him a little about how I'd been feeling. In response, he read me a story from the Old Testment book of 1 Kings. In the story, a prophet named Elijah goes out in the desert to talk to God. He's waiting for God when he hears this giant windstorm that is so strong it tears the rocks apart. But God isn't in the windstorm. Then there's an earthquake, but God isn't in the earthquake. Then there's a fire, but God isn't in the fire. Finally, he hears a gentle whisper, and he realizes that it's God...

...I realized that instead of thinking that my life has to be some big windstorm or earthquake for God, perhaps I only have to let Him whisper gently through my life. That story made me realize I don't have to accomplish some giant thing for God. If I'm just a camp counselor who makes the difference in the life of one person, or if I'm just a mom who loves her children and tells them about Jesus, than that's enough. It took a little while, but I finally figured out that God's purpose is for me to let Him do whatever he wants in my life, big or small."

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an amazing story about this crazy event. The thing that got me to read it was the prologue.

Here's a quote from the prologue: "The story of how two girls, Laura Van Ryn and WhitneyCerak, could be mistaken for each other may seem fantastic and unbelievagle, yet that's not the real story here. This book is really about how God has sustained two families through His grace. We hope after al that is said on these pages, you see it is really all about Him."

I was amazed at the faith that these families had. It literally got them through this horrific ordeal. There was tons of bible scriptures quoted and prayers throughout.

This being said, I read the book in 1 day - it was a light and easy read, somewhat fluffy at times, but I was amazed at what they went through and how they finally figured out that the daughter that they sat by for 5 weeks in the hospital wasn't their daughter. It is told from both family's perspectives and includes pictures of these girls.

I gave it 3 stars - would've loved to give 3.5, but that's not an option. It was definitely entertaining and kept my interest.

[Lindsay Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely touching. Be prepared to cry!

[Cam]

First of all, I marked that this review has spoilers, but in actuality- you will get all of this information from reading the back of the book.....anyways...
I remember watching this story on a dateline type show- and it was so interesting. Five people from Taylor University were killed in an auto accident, and one of the young women was taken to the hospital in a coma. One of the families in this story (the Ceraks) buried their daughter. The other family (Van Ryn) kept a constant vigil at the bedside of their daughter as she started to recover. She came out of the coma and started having physical therapy- and then they noticed a few strange things, like that she kept calling herself by a different name (which can be common in accident victims) After five weeks of caring for their daughter, they discovered that she was actually the Cerak's daughter- the two girls had been misidentified at the accident scene.
This true story takes you through so many emotions. You are excited for the Cerak family to have their daughter back (especially after going through their emotion of losing her), but your heart breaks for the Van Ryn family. I cried many times throughout this story.
At times it was hard for me to keep the characters straight, but overall it was a touching book and it was good to see how these families relied on God, and put all their faith and strength in him. Their testimonies are uplifting, and you just get a sense for what wonderful people they all are.
I especially loved the epilogue written by Whitney Cerak, I like the way she is handling this event in her life. She talks about how she may not accomplish something giant for God, but she'll let him whisper gently through her life- like the story of Elijah in 1 Kings. What a mature way to make sense of these events. I wish her the best in her recovery.

[Kyleigh M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. I read it in one day because I just couldn't put it down. My mom had read it before me and then recommended it to me on Friday 10/12. The book was filled with so much grief and so much hope. I really don't know any other way to put it. I just couldn't believe this book was a true story. When a tractor-trailer truck crosses a road at an intersection and hits a college van with 9 people in it, 4 students and 1 staff member are announced dead. The story follows 2 families who had daughters in the van. The Cerak family is told that their daughter Whitney was killed in the accident. Meanwhile, the Van Ryn family is told that their daughter Laura is alive but in a comatose state and has several broken bones. As Laura recovers though and starts to awaken from the coma, she starts calling people unfamiliar names and saying stuff like "false parents." The doctors just say it's from memory loss and that Laura will gain it back. But one day Laura is asked to spell her name. Doctors look at the paper and it says W-H-I-T-N-E-Y. They soon do tests and find that "Laura" was really mistakenly identified. As the two families swap places, the grief and relief fill the book. Whitney is proclaimed alive and Laura really lost her life on April 26, 2006.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMARY: This ia a non-fiction book covering the Taylor University tragedy in which 5 people were killed in an auto accident and one survived in critical condition. Due to circumstances, the survivor was identified as Laura Van Ryn and it isn't until 6 weeks later that they realize that the young woman is in reality Whitney Cerak. Incredible story of two families who have a deep abiding faith and the journey they traveled.

REVIEW: This story has a personal connection for me and I found it very moving. Mark Van Ryn, Laura's brother, and my son are friends and play on a church softball team together. My daughter in law and Victoria, Mark's wife, are good friends. They have shared this story personally with Steve and Julie so this was a very poignant but faith filled read. This tragedy was used to change many lives and affected many people.

[Roger Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I clearly remembered hearing about this case of mistaken identity in news broadcasts and when I came across this book I thought it would be interesting to learn something about the details of the case. I got the details and it could have been really interesting. The problem was that the book was filled with religious preaching. I detest religion and I detest books that push the superstitious nonsense. As I read it I kept thinking that I might give it a star for actually telling the story that I was reading it for, but in the end I just could not bring myself to do it. The entire book is permeated with the religious crap and the authors practically state that the reason for writing the book was to convert people to their religion. That is, this is not just a story of a trajedy that effected two families that happened to be religious. It is purposely preachy. The families actually used a trajedy to push religious nonsense. I could not allow myself to give it anything but the very lowest rating for that.

[Laurie Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the story of the university students who were in a bus accident. Many died and two girls were mixed up. One family thought their daughter was dead and buried her. The other stayed by what they thought was their daughters' side only to discover she wasn't their daughter and that their daughter had actually been buried.

Both families have a very strong faith and it overpowered the book. I didn't actually read the entire book. I had to skim through the first half as it was a bit over the top for me and then I mostly read the last 1/2. So, does that count as being read in my Goodreads Profile?

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

You probably remember this story from the news: a van carrying a group of students from Taylor University is involved in a horrible crash with five dead. After 5 weeks, it is discovered that there had been an error in identification, and that Laura Van Ryn, whose family had been by her side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, was actually Whitney Cerak.

Let that sink in a minute. The Cerak family had buried "Whitney" weeks earlier, and her mother, Colleen, gets a phone call at 2:00 a.m. saying that there is reason to believe her daughter is actually alive.

Let that sink in a minute.

Mistaken Identity was co-written by the Ceraks and the Van Ryn families, and it is just an incredible story. Had it not been true and this had been a novel, I'd have thought it implausible.

All the little questions I had during the intense media coverage of this a couple years ago were answered. Things like, "Okay, so they were both blond and attractive, but they don't look that much alike," and "How could a mother not know her own child?" There were, in fact, little things that in hindsight should have been utter giveaways, but when you don't have any reason to believe that it is not your daughter lying in that bed in a coma, you just accept as fluke-y, and the fact the Van Ryns did so is totally understandable.

All those details are fascinating -- the fact that Laura's sister thought it odd that none of the clothes she got at the hospital that her sister had been wearing were things she recognized; the difference in the teeth (not noticed for weeks because a respirator was in her mouth, and then dismissed as possibly related to the violence of the wreck knocking things askew); the fact that "Laura" had a pierced belly-button and her sister was sure she'd have told her if she'd done that.

It is only at the end of the grueling 5 weeks, when "Laura" begins talking that questions arise. The fact that she calls out names the Van Ryns don't recognize is explained away by the nurses as "her neurons are firing, but not firing correctly, so who knows where that name came from?" With no real reason to doubt that "Laura" isn't "Laura," I have a feeling I'd have let it go, too.

Mistaken Identity truly captures the roller-coaster of emotions of both these families, and what became their tender care of each other when the unimaginable mistake was discovered. What is most amazing is the very obvious comfort the faith of both these families brought them in their most devastating moments.

While I can't say this book is brilliantly written, it is raw, and it is real, and it is stunning.

[Eva · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a true story about a horific accident involving a semi-truck and a college van in which several people were killed. The story focuses on two of the girls--Whitney Cerak, the one who died and the other, Laura Van Ryn, who did not. When the accident first happened, Laura was severely injured and her head was completely bandaged up. Her blond hair was poking out through the bandages and her eyes were blue so how would anyone know that it was not really Laura? Once the the bandages came off and all the swelling around the head and face went down Laura was looking like herself and her parents, siblings, friends, etc. were all thrilled at the progress she was making. In the meantime, Whitney Cerak's family buried her and began the grieving process on losing their daughter, sister, etc. As Laura continued to recover there were so many people who saw her and no one recognized that it was not really her but her Aunt Ruthann noticed right away that it did not even look like Laura. As the story goes on, there are many things that did not add up to the fact that this girl in the hospital bed was Laura. During Laura's physical therapy sessions she claimed that she was Whitney Cerak and, lo and behold, it really was Whitney and not Laura. I can't believe that one would not know their own flesh and blood. These people were so busy with their bible thumping that they never even noticed this was not their daughter, sister, friend, etc. These people were so devoted to the bible and praying that they could not see the forest from the trees. In the meantime, this was someone's daughter. Where is the christianity there? I just don't buy into this case of mistaken identity and I could not stand this book.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book for a dollar. I am vaguely familiar with this story in the news, and the book coming out - shelved as it was in Christian inspiration or some such section, I never did more than find it for people interested in reading it.

I was looking for something quick (prior to this, I had been listening to the entire George RR Martin Song of Ice and Fire books - approximately 160 hours of epic fantasy) and based in reality. I figured I could stand this - and the ramifications of the story are incredible.

The girl who lived - Whitney - is found at the accident scene with another girls purse next to her. They look similar. She is identified as Laura, and Laura's family rushes to the hospital to sit vigil by the bed of their beloved daughter, who has suffered a terrible brain injury in addition to the many breaks, bumps and bruises. They see her through 5 weeks of coma and gradual awakening - and once she is finally awake, they learn she is not their Laura. Heartbroken, they turn the problem over to the hospital, who contacts another family - one that buried their daughter - to tell them she lives. The joy they feel is tempered by the all to familiar pain they empathize with the first family. And imagine if you can the poor teenaged girl, wavering in and out of awareness and always surrounded by people she doesn't know, who call her Laura - it must have been quite confusing.

These people are all interesting enough to allow me to get through the huge dose of Christian faith this entire story is delivered with - the families are both deeply Christian, and get through each of the unique ordeals through that faith. What takes this rating down to a meager two stars is the HORRIBLE narration. This book seems to have been presented by a middle school enunciation professor. Every sentence is fraught with stiff dialogue - "I will do that, dad. I will go do it right now." It was damned annoying . . .

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely have I read such a page-turner. Have a look at the premise behind this true story and you can see how hard it would be to put down.

The book begins with the usual prologue "in media res," or in the middle of the action. Then it backs up to a time before the tragic accident that led to a victim who survived the accident being mistaken for one who did not, and vice versa. The family of the survivor had a funeral and buried a body (which they had not seen, wishing to remember her the way she was before the accident) and the family of the deceased spent five weeks nursing a severely injured survivor whom they (and all authorities) mistook for their daughter. But as I was saying, after the action-packed opening prologue, the narrative backs up to let readers get to know the two college students and their families. This was the only time when the book slowed down. The rest was as fast-paced as anything a novelist might come up with. I found the book nearly impossible to put down--in spite of the tragic subject matter and the grief and sadness that attends such matters.

Perhaps that is because the entire book is enfused with hope. These two families made such an effort--a genuine effort, I believe--to seek God in the midst of suffering and shock and one of the weirdest circumstances you can imagine. They walked with the Lord throughout these events, and they clearly sought His Glory with this book. It is a testimony not only to the Peace God can provide, but to the peaceful, forgiving, and grace-filled way that people can live and interact when they really put their lives in His hands.

I was blessed by this book. I know I almost never write that in a review!

[John Pastirzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

One would think they could recognise their own daughter, right? Mistaken Identity by Don Van Ryn, Susie Van Ryn, Newell Cerak, Colleen Cerak, Whitney Cerak, and Mark A. Tabb, is a nonfiction book that illustrates the remarkable events that led to two families coming together. Whitney Cerak and Laura Van Ryn both went to the same college and both were in a fatal accident on a school trip. The police identified that Whitney had died and that Laura was found unconscious on the scene. Laura was sent to the hospital and was going through rehab until she started to act different to her family. She kept saying her name was Whitney, and this turns out to be true. She was actually Whitney Cerak, the police had incorrectly identified Whitney as Laura. Throughout the book you will learn how these two families fought through this mistaken identity. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good non fiction read that has a little mystery. The book is a very easy read that has the overall theme of the book is that not everything is the way it seems. This is shown by Laura actually being Whitney. My first impression of the book was that it was going to be a mystery writing that was fiction. Although it wasn’t what I expected, my first impression of the actual book, which was nonfiction about a real life occurrence, was that the book was very intriguing and the book did a great job of describing both families reactions to the fatal accident. Also the book did very well at illustrating both families reactions and thoughts throughout the time that Whitney was being mistaken as Laura within the hospital and rehab of her.

[Kirsten Nault · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 26, 2006, a day with only one survivor and two families. On April 26,2006, a crash occurred with a semi and a Taylor University College bus full of nine people. Not knowing that on the way home eight different families would have to bury their loved ones. Not knowing that on the way home they would have to identify who everyone was.
Laura and Whitney were two of the nine people that were on the Taylor University College bus that day. Both blondes and both very loved people. This crash hit everyone like a rock. Two families and one survivor later found out the devastating news and came together to help each other through the rough times. They were both beyond blessed even though one family had the worst nightmare of their own lives.
As a fan of not liking to read, I had finished this book in three days. I fell in love with this book. From happy moments to tearful moments it makes you think. It makes you want to know what their life is like now. In my opinion, the authors’ of this book didn’t try to hide the hard times and didn’t try to hide the devastating times. The authors of this book were both Whitney and Laura’s families and they didn’t hesitate to express what their feelings were and what others around them felt. I believe that they really put the book in both of their eyes and not just one family's eyes.

[Meggin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an unbelievable story! A van carry several college students was hit head-on by a semi, and 5 of the students died. One girl (Whitney) was thrown 50 feet from the van, and became comatose. The purse of another girl (Laura) was found next to her. After looking at the drivers license, the authorities assumed that she was the girl in the photo. In reality, the girl who the purse actually belonged to was one of the students who was killed. So, Whitney, the girl who was comatose, was believed to be Laura. Whitney's family had a funeral for her and ended up burying Laura's body. In the meantime, Laura's family was contacted and told their daughter was in a coma in the hospital. The amazing thing was that it took Laura's family 5 WEEKS before they realized that "Laura" was not actually Laura. It was seriously shocking that something like this could happen. The book itself was actually not all that well written, but the story was so interesting that it was still a decent read.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What grabbed my interest in reading this book was the fact that it was written by the family of the accident victims. Unfortunately, this also lead to he main reason for disliking the book. I expected that faith would be extensively discussed, in regards to grief, throught the book. Both families are religious and its natural for them to turn towards their faith during difficult times.

However, faith ended up being a heavier topic than the actual accident, IMO. The faith of the families was explored much deeper than needed. The Bible was quoted throught the book and it seemed like they were writing more for the therapeutic benefits, rather than to tell the story. While this is understandable, I feel like the descriptions of the book were misleading about this.

[Greenyogurt]

It was okay. I was interested enough to finish it, but I couldn't really suggest it in good faith. There are way more interesting things to be reading.

What I learned from this book is that I still have issues with people who are very religious, and should not be face to face with them for too long, as at some point they will mention their faith and then I will roll my eyes, and then they will be offended.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just saw an interview of some of the family members with Matt Lauer on the 3 year anniversary of the accident. He said two things that impressed me: 1. Many people are moved by the story of the family, but the most moving part of their story is their faith. 2. He has interviewed many families over the years, but he has been more impressed with these two families than by any other families he has ever interviewed. What a testimony!

If you haven't read this book yet, you must!

[Debra Johnson oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept wondering how could you not know your own child and yet when the only other possibility is that that child is gone forever I understand seeing what you want to be true. My heart aches for both families and yet I find reading a book that quotes scripture throughout and praises God even in the storm to be uplifting and inspiring. Thank you Van Ryns and Ceraks for sharing this journey.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was EXCELLENT!!! Very spiritual. It really made me think about my faith. These families showed me that God really does have a plan for all of us and that you can get through anything if you rely on God.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down... what an amazing story!!

[Kaitlyn Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and challenging book.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A favorite of Kim's. I wish it would have included a family chart to make reading in the beginning easier.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised at all the reviewers who were upset with the fact that this book had so much religion in it because they say right in the prologue, "Whitney shared how she was beginning to see how God could use this story for the greater good." If they didn't want to read about God's love, scriptures, and how these two families allowed God to help them through this difficult time, they should have stopped reading the book at the end of the prologue. Even that back of the book tells of both families praying and worshipping God, so these reviewers were warned that this was going to get religious.

This book is incredibly sad, as it must be because both of these families walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and both by the time the story was over had buried a daughter. One got their child back, but they both walked that horrible, horrible road.

I am glad that Whitney has done so well and has made peace with the changes her TBI has caused. Amazing story about amazingly strong people who know where their strength comes from.

With how similar the girls looked and how extensive Whitney's injuries were, I can see why they didn't realize she was Whitney. I have been at the funerals of accident victims and they really don't look like themselves. I have also had family members survive accidents and not look like themselves at first. I also think that the human mind believes what it is told when facing severe trauma - it sees what it wants to see. I can't fault the Van Ryan's for not seeing that Whitney was Whitney sooner. They were in shock, tired, and stressed beyond belief. I don't know if the Cerak's would have known that the girl they buried wasn't their daughter if they had viewed her body before they buried her because accident victims are often so battered they don't look like themselves. This was just a very unfortunate twist of events that caused more stress than either family deserved. They really walked a mile (or 1,000) miles in the shoes of another.

I loved how wonderful the friends and communities of the two families were. They show that there really are good people in the world. I only hope that if I ever go through something so awful that I have that same support.

I liked the messages of faith and of God. Although I am a different religion than both families, I know that God has a plan for us and that life doesn't end with death on this earth. I liked that Lisa found her life plan by helping to take care of her "sister" who wasn't really her sister at all.

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful testimony these families have. No matter what trials came their way they relied on the Lord and He was ever faithful to them. I can't imagine the heartache they all went through, nor the incredible joy for the Cerak family.
The complete lack of bitterness against either God or man is so amazing and encouraging. They leave no questions as to how they were able to forgive. They, personally knew God's forgiveness and passed it on to all those around them. Yes there is a lot of talk about God, but you just couldn't have this story with Him.
Despite the terrible tragedy they both families went through, it is a very hopeful book. For those that survived their hope for this life is in the continued support and comfort of the God who saw them through everything. For the families that lost loved ones, hope comes from the certainty of seeing their loved ones again. Based on their daughter Laura Van Ryn's profession of belief in the finished work of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, the Van Ryns know She in in Heaven with the God who loved her enough to die for her.
Even during their grief for their own daughter it's amazing to see how they reach out in love to Whitney and her family.
It's a book I would recommend to anyone, especially to someone who has recently lost a loved one. There is so much comfort in it. But even more important is the answer they found through their struggles, the ultimate comfort comes from the Lord through His Word. That is what we really need it times of trouble.