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Zephany: Two mothers. One daughter. An astonishing true story.
The kidnapping of baby Zephany Nurse from the cot beside her mother's hospital bed made headline news. Desperate pleas from her parents to return her safely went unanswered. There was no trace of the baby. For seventeen years, on her birthday, the Nurses lit candles and hoped and prayed. Living not far away from the Nurses, 17-year-old Miché Solomon had just started Matric. She had a boyfriend. She had devoted parents. She was thinking about the upcoming school dance and the dress her mother was going to make for her. She had no idea that a new girl at her school, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her, and a DNA test would shake her world to its foundations. Miché is now 22. This is her story - for the first time in her own words. Told with astonishing maturity, honesty and compassion, it is also a story of what it means to love and be loved, and of claiming your identity.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2019
28 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
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August 19, 2019The first novel I ever wanted to write was a fictional tale of two babies switched at birth. Fortunately I didn’t end up writing it, I doubt I could have pulled it off anyway. But my fascination for these kinds of stories has never waned. I tear them out of newspapers and magazines and keep them in a file, just in case I ever wake up smart enough to write it. So I remember vividly when Zephany’s story broke and I followed it with a lot of interest and more recently leapt at the opportunity to read this. But now I’m not sure how to review this book without giving anything away, other than what Miche has already shared in the press and on radio. This book is so full of twists and turns and surprises, made richer by the clever way it’s been delivered, revealing each piece of the puzzle at just the right time. It’s a series of heartbreaks and discoveries, telling a true (well, each character’s version of true) story that has to be read to be believed. Strength of character, courage, maturity, an impeccable upbringing, and terrible and fortuitous fates all play a role. If this story has sparked your imagination at any point, I highly recommend this book, mostly for the kind of closure that only opens up more questions and provokes more thought.
May 30, 2023
I am one of the people who feel sadness and fear for those who have been kidnapped since they were young.
And they keep living with a family that isn't theirs, it's really terrifying
And they keep living with a family that isn't theirs, it's really terrifying
November 7, 2019
Three days ago I became aware of this book through an article on the BBC website. I immediately purchased a copy (Kindle edition), and began reading it later that night. I had never heard of the kidnapping of the newborn Zephany Nurse in South Africa (1997). This book does not go into that event in great detail -- presumably because the author is mainly writing for South Africans who seem to be aware of that event and 17 years of searching for the kidnapped infant. Instead, Joanne Jowell writes what might be called a multi-faceted biography of the kidnapped child-now-adult, through interviews of the young woman, her family, her teachers and nurses who accompanied her through the ordeal of discovering that she had been part of a mystery disappearance of which she knew nothing.
The presentation of the story, which concentrates on events from the time of Zepany's re-emergence, at age 17, through the trial of the woman that she knew as her mother, through the difficult readjustment to life after the discovery -- is carefully paced, well balanced, respectful of many who had suffered, and non-judgmental.
The book was published simultaneously in Africans and English. In America it is only available in a digital format. I highly recommend this book, which will take any American reader into a new and radically different world, but one that will change the reader's thinking about what is truth, what is family, and how to seek to understand endangered young people.
The presentation of the story, which concentrates on events from the time of Zepany's re-emergence, at age 17, through the trial of the woman that she knew as her mother, through the difficult readjustment to life after the discovery -- is carefully paced, well balanced, respectful of many who had suffered, and non-judgmental.
The book was published simultaneously in Africans and English. In America it is only available in a digital format. I highly recommend this book, which will take any American reader into a new and radically different world, but one that will change the reader's thinking about what is truth, what is family, and how to seek to understand endangered young people.
August 24, 2019
Zephany by Joanne Jowell
Where does one even start to navigate this. Something of a wrecking ball that will take it's own course no matter what you do to try stop it.
For many of us who live in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, this story hits close to home. Baby Zephany was never hidden from the world. The chances that many of us could have been in the same restaurant at the mall or the beach are just proof that you never know what struggles are happening in the lives of those around us. Always be mindful and kind.
I have my own opinions on the few protagonists in the story of baby Zephany. I found myself quite angry and irritated with the behaviour. But brutal honesty often has that effect. Zero sugar coating involved. I think the person I feel for the most is Michael. He has been left to clean up everyone's mess and I hope he too, finds his peace in all of this.
I think Joanne Jowell did an amazing job with this book. For her and her writing, I give this book 5 stars.
Where does one even start to navigate this. Something of a wrecking ball that will take it's own course no matter what you do to try stop it.
For many of us who live in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, this story hits close to home. Baby Zephany was never hidden from the world. The chances that many of us could have been in the same restaurant at the mall or the beach are just proof that you never know what struggles are happening in the lives of those around us. Always be mindful and kind.
I have my own opinions on the few protagonists in the story of baby Zephany. I found myself quite angry and irritated with the behaviour. But brutal honesty often has that effect. Zero sugar coating involved. I think the person I feel for the most is Michael. He has been left to clean up everyone's mess and I hope he too, finds his peace in all of this.
I think Joanne Jowell did an amazing job with this book. For her and her writing, I give this book 5 stars.
January 9, 2021
In a story such as that of the Zephany Nurse baby-kidnapping case, there is a certain way you expect things to go. Even more so in this case where the kidnapped baby was reunited with her long-lost parents. Like a fairytale with a neatly wrapped ending, the lost child and her parents would live happliy ever after, while the evil witch who stole her would pay for her crimes. The wronged child, now free of her kidnapper, would run gratefully into her real mother's arms and never look back. Real life is not so simple.
What happens when the kidnapped child is not trafficked, abused and maligned but instead loved and cherished? What if she grew up perfectly happy and was raised to be a strong respectable woman with solid foundations? This is not how a kidnapping story with a 'happy ending' and clearcut villains and good guys is meant to go. This is exactly what makes Miche Solomon's story so compelling.
When missing Zephany Nurse was finally unearthed through pure coincidence, the world did not find a Cinderella silently weeping to escape her evil adoptive mother, but instead a happy and fulfilled Miche Solomon who loved her life and was worshipped by her doting parents. She had grown up blissfully unaware as the spoiled princess of a hardworking mother and father. An extra set of parents and all the ensuing drama was completely unwanted.
Miche's real parents, Morné and Celeste are the opposite of the quiet, respectful and supportive Solomons who will not so much as argue in the presence of their beloved daughter. Morné is brash and loud. He smokes and drinks and has a girfriend and ex-wife with whom he regularly fights and children at whom he regularly shouts. He is a flaky big-talker who exults in the attention that his kidnapped daughter has brought him. Celeste who was young when her daughter was born and taken has never quite gotten her life together, and is not afraid of drama (or unleashing her wrath onto her ex). Miche can spot their immaturity a mile away and part of her wants nothing to do with their "drama", while at the same time her empathy tells her that they deserve at least a chance to get to know her after their years of suffering.
A well-grounded teenage Miche takes the ultimate decimation of her identity in her slide, preferring to err on the side of Miche Solomon instead of this Zephany, with whom she has no connection. She recognises the need for stability in her life and tries to maintain it for herself as the adults around her fall away. With a beloved mother figure in prison for her kidnapping, the Nurses do not exactly step up as parents. Instead they bicker and chase media money. The teenage Miche relies on her own team of supporters - a teacher, a boyfriend, social workers, lawyers and her adoptive father (but true daddy). The media adds another layer to the mess by constantly hounding everyone involved and threatening to reveal Miche's identity the moment she turns 18 (something which she ultimately takes into her own hands).
The law is clear cut. The Nurses had been wronged by Lavona Solomon who stole their baby at birth and she must pay. The situation itself is a lot more vague. What happens when then stolen baby finds herself in an infinitely better situation than that of her birth? What if the stolen baby does not in herself feel wronged by the crime? What if the stolen baby loves her new mother and father with all her heart?
Zephany by Joanne Jowell is at its heart a coming-of-age-story. Every child must learn at some point that adults are not omnipotent, infallible and all-knowing. That every human is flawed is something we come to terms with at one point or another. Miche Solomon, now a mother herself is able to further put herself in the shoes of both her mothers and try forge ahead as the girl with two sets of family.
What happens when the kidnapped child is not trafficked, abused and maligned but instead loved and cherished? What if she grew up perfectly happy and was raised to be a strong respectable woman with solid foundations? This is not how a kidnapping story with a 'happy ending' and clearcut villains and good guys is meant to go. This is exactly what makes Miche Solomon's story so compelling.
When missing Zephany Nurse was finally unearthed through pure coincidence, the world did not find a Cinderella silently weeping to escape her evil adoptive mother, but instead a happy and fulfilled Miche Solomon who loved her life and was worshipped by her doting parents. She had grown up blissfully unaware as the spoiled princess of a hardworking mother and father. An extra set of parents and all the ensuing drama was completely unwanted.
Miche's real parents, Morné and Celeste are the opposite of the quiet, respectful and supportive Solomons who will not so much as argue in the presence of their beloved daughter. Morné is brash and loud. He smokes and drinks and has a girfriend and ex-wife with whom he regularly fights and children at whom he regularly shouts. He is a flaky big-talker who exults in the attention that his kidnapped daughter has brought him. Celeste who was young when her daughter was born and taken has never quite gotten her life together, and is not afraid of drama (or unleashing her wrath onto her ex). Miche can spot their immaturity a mile away and part of her wants nothing to do with their "drama", while at the same time her empathy tells her that they deserve at least a chance to get to know her after their years of suffering.
A well-grounded teenage Miche takes the ultimate decimation of her identity in her slide, preferring to err on the side of Miche Solomon instead of this Zephany, with whom she has no connection. She recognises the need for stability in her life and tries to maintain it for herself as the adults around her fall away. With a beloved mother figure in prison for her kidnapping, the Nurses do not exactly step up as parents. Instead they bicker and chase media money. The teenage Miche relies on her own team of supporters - a teacher, a boyfriend, social workers, lawyers and her adoptive father (but true daddy). The media adds another layer to the mess by constantly hounding everyone involved and threatening to reveal Miche's identity the moment she turns 18 (something which she ultimately takes into her own hands).
The law is clear cut. The Nurses had been wronged by Lavona Solomon who stole their baby at birth and she must pay. The situation itself is a lot more vague. What happens when then stolen baby finds herself in an infinitely better situation than that of her birth? What if the stolen baby does not in herself feel wronged by the crime? What if the stolen baby loves her new mother and father with all her heart?
Zephany by Joanne Jowell is at its heart a coming-of-age-story. Every child must learn at some point that adults are not omnipotent, infallible and all-knowing. That every human is flawed is something we come to terms with at one point or another. Miche Solomon, now a mother herself is able to further put herself in the shoes of both her mothers and try forge ahead as the girl with two sets of family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2019
I really enjoyed the first half of this book and then got into what seemed like very trivial issues between the families. I thought the style of writing (having each character give their side of the story) lent itself to lots of repetition. But still quite a fascinating and tragic story for those affected.
August 31, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I found could imagine it being told in Zephany's/Miche's voice. Amazing how forgiving both Miche and Michael are. I just would have loved to hear more from the courtroom but I understand that wasn't part of Miche's story as she wasn't there.
June 16, 2021
The writing irritated me throughout this book. It felt like it was trying too hard, every second paragraph had a metaphor, sometimes just very dramatic.
I don’t feel this book told me anything new from what was published in the newspapers at the time of all of this.
I don’t feel this book told me anything new from what was published in the newspapers at the time of all of this.
September 15, 2019
Wat 'n aangrypende verhaal. Die enkele groot gedagte wat die hele tyd opkom, reg van die begin af tot aan die einde, is dat dit dan nie die storie is wat aan ons vertel is nie.
Algaande word dit duidelik dat dit wat ons van hierdie ware lewensdrama te wete gekom het, net dit is wat die biologiese ouerpaar en skoolkinders aan joernaliste vertel het. As jy die boek lees, sal jy sien dat dit 'n totaal ander prentjie is wat geskets word deur Miché self, die maatskaplike werkers, onderwysers, die kinderregteprokureur en ander betrokkenes. Deur hulle perspektief skuif Joanne Jowell 'n tipe legkaart inmekaar, sover dit moontlik is met die beskikbare inligting.
"Miché is wie sy was; Zephany is wie sy kon gewees het."
Miché Solomon se menswees en volwassenheid kry 5 sterre. So ook pa Michael en ma Lavona wat haar grootgemaak het. Die biologiese ouers, Celeste en Morné Nurse? Net hulle sal seker hulle kant van die saak kan stel, maar dit is nie 'n mooi prentjie wat vir die leser opgehou word nie. Deurgaans is dit Miché se optrede wat volwasse is, in teensteelling met die van haar sensasiebeluste, onverantwoordelike biologiese ouers. Die hantering van 'n weerlose skoolkind wat uiters getraumatiseer is en deur joernaliste geteister en agtervolg word, maak mens bitter.
"Maar ongeag wat jy in die lewe deurmaak, jy kan nie altyd die situasie die skuld gee nie – jy het nog steeds ’n keuse om die tipe mens te wees wat jy wil wees. Keuse is iets waaroor ek baie dink. Dis nie dat ek vanselfsprekend die familie sal kies by wie ek grootgeword het nie. Dit gaan nie oor alles wat ek geken het nie. Dit gaan daaroor dat ek my biologiese ouers kanse gegee het en dat hulle my nie hul volle aandag gegee het nie as gevolg van keuses wat hulle in die lewe gemaak het. Ek het hulle lewenstyl aanvaar, maar ek kan my nie daarby aanpas nie. Ek kan basies sê dat toe my ma uit my lewe weggeneem is, ek met net ’n pa agtergelaat is. Dis nie slegsê nie. Dis die waarheid. Ek kan nie jok as dit die enigste waarheid is nie. Ek het ook ’n keuse in dit wat ek sê. Ek kies om die waarheid te vertel."
Dit voel half onregverdig om sterre toe te ken aan 'n biografie, dit is immers feite wat bymekaargesit moet word en weergegee moet word. Die skrywer se insig in sielkundige prosesse verdien vermelding, maar die baie herhaling van dieselfde inligting weerhou my van 'n vier.
Algaande word dit duidelik dat dit wat ons van hierdie ware lewensdrama te wete gekom het, net dit is wat die biologiese ouerpaar en skoolkinders aan joernaliste vertel het. As jy die boek lees, sal jy sien dat dit 'n totaal ander prentjie is wat geskets word deur Miché self, die maatskaplike werkers, onderwysers, die kinderregteprokureur en ander betrokkenes. Deur hulle perspektief skuif Joanne Jowell 'n tipe legkaart inmekaar, sover dit moontlik is met die beskikbare inligting.
"Miché is wie sy was; Zephany is wie sy kon gewees het."
Miché Solomon se menswees en volwassenheid kry 5 sterre. So ook pa Michael en ma Lavona wat haar grootgemaak het. Die biologiese ouers, Celeste en Morné Nurse? Net hulle sal seker hulle kant van die saak kan stel, maar dit is nie 'n mooi prentjie wat vir die leser opgehou word nie. Deurgaans is dit Miché se optrede wat volwasse is, in teensteelling met die van haar sensasiebeluste, onverantwoordelike biologiese ouers. Die hantering van 'n weerlose skoolkind wat uiters getraumatiseer is en deur joernaliste geteister en agtervolg word, maak mens bitter.
"Maar ongeag wat jy in die lewe deurmaak, jy kan nie altyd die situasie die skuld gee nie – jy het nog steeds ’n keuse om die tipe mens te wees wat jy wil wees. Keuse is iets waaroor ek baie dink. Dis nie dat ek vanselfsprekend die familie sal kies by wie ek grootgeword het nie. Dit gaan nie oor alles wat ek geken het nie. Dit gaan daaroor dat ek my biologiese ouers kanse gegee het en dat hulle my nie hul volle aandag gegee het nie as gevolg van keuses wat hulle in die lewe gemaak het. Ek het hulle lewenstyl aanvaar, maar ek kan my nie daarby aanpas nie. Ek kan basies sê dat toe my ma uit my lewe weggeneem is, ek met net ’n pa agtergelaat is. Dis nie slegsê nie. Dis die waarheid. Ek kan nie jok as dit die enigste waarheid is nie. Ek het ook ’n keuse in dit wat ek sê. Ek kies om die waarheid te vertel."
Dit voel half onregverdig om sterre toe te ken aan 'n biografie, dit is immers feite wat bymekaargesit moet word en weergegee moet word. Die skrywer se insig in sielkundige prosesse verdien vermelding, maar die baie herhaling van dieselfde inligting weerhou my van 'n vier.
July 19, 2020
22 year old Zephany Nurse, by now a mother of 2 children herself in the 4 years since her discovery by her biological family, comes out as Miché Solomon, the identity she has lived with all her life - and continues to live with - to tell her side of the story, recounting the events which led to her discovery as Zephany, the court trial in which her adoptive mother was convicted for Miché’s kidnapping and her subsequent relationship with both her biological and adoptive families.
The book also gathers accounts from others involved in the case, teachers, lawyers, social workers - most notably Miché’s adoptive father, Michael Solomon. At the same time, the Nurse’s also notably declined to be part of the book.
This is definitely an intriguing story and it was quite interesting to hear how Miché felt and experienced the whole ordeal and life afterwards.
My only criticism is that perhaps this is a story that was told too soon. It is only natural that Miché will always be partial to her adoptive family. She concedes that she had a happy, loving family life - and in her defense, it is the only family she knew and bonded with. Nevertheless, in my opinion she does seem to lack some empathy for her biological family. She needs to process her own feelings and what she has been through before she can see things from the Nurse’s point of view though. An important part of the book describes why Miché approaches this relationship with some disdain today.
Miché and both the families involved still carry a lot of baggage and have a lot of healing to go through. I would love this story to be revisited in years to come, with the input of the Nurse family to get a more balanced point of view.
The book also gathers accounts from others involved in the case, teachers, lawyers, social workers - most notably Miché’s adoptive father, Michael Solomon. At the same time, the Nurse’s also notably declined to be part of the book.
This is definitely an intriguing story and it was quite interesting to hear how Miché felt and experienced the whole ordeal and life afterwards.
My only criticism is that perhaps this is a story that was told too soon. It is only natural that Miché will always be partial to her adoptive family. She concedes that she had a happy, loving family life - and in her defense, it is the only family she knew and bonded with. Nevertheless, in my opinion she does seem to lack some empathy for her biological family. She needs to process her own feelings and what she has been through before she can see things from the Nurse’s point of view though. An important part of the book describes why Miché approaches this relationship with some disdain today.
Miché and both the families involved still carry a lot of baggage and have a lot of healing to go through. I would love this story to be revisited in years to come, with the input of the Nurse family to get a more balanced point of view.
October 25, 2019
So sad, on so many levels. The fact that it all happened so close to where I live, increased the impact of the story on me. One feels empathy for all the people concerned. No-one has been spared. The timing of the discovery of Zephany/Miche could not have been worse. I feel that she would be better off if the discovery had never happened. Of course one feels for the Nurse family, but then also for the Solomons who gave Miche a completely stable and loving upbringing. The values they instilled in her enabled her to handle the situation with a maturity beyond her years. However, I don't think she will ever really get over the disruption, confusion and hurt that it has caused in her life, even though a number of wonderfully supportive people came alongside her. Her non-biological father, Michael Solomon, must be a truly amazing man who is suffering so much hurt as well, yet still loves and misses his wife very much. There is no bitterness or anger from his side and the bond between him and Miche is exceptional and will endure. Nature or Nurture? In this true story, Nurture wins hands-down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2024
While the subject is interesting, the author's writing style did not contribute to the story. I passed over most of her own musings as it felt like padding.
January 10, 2022
Well written!! I love the format and style of this autobiographical account of a story that will have you torn on so many levels. Ethics are never straightforward! Perhaps if adoption of children was not so expensive we wouldn’t have so many cases of kidnappings!!
August 1, 2023
True story. Fantastic story. I read the English translation and I felt as if it was slightly immature in its storytelling. Whether that is the winter of the story or the translation. Either way- was an Interesting story.
April 28, 2020
Definitely an interesting read. What a difficult situation.
June 30, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. Very beautifully written. I have read other books by Joanne Jowell which are also brilliant.
August 27, 2019
This story has impacted the southern suburbs of Cape Town greatly. The journey has been a rollercoaster ride in the Press & many felt deeply for those involved. Fictional, it could surely be except for the way Joanne Jowell has managed each individual's story; truthfully written from each one's perspective. The rawness of emotion was very real & it gives the reader a space to understand & consider the emotions expressed along this tumultuous journey. Insightful & impactful indeed.
September 15, 2019
Well-written from a variety of perspectives. It’s a pretty hectic story which gives you a lot to think about. It’s pretty amazing how the protagonist manages to remain so balanced and self aware throughout the whole ordeal. Only gave it 4 stars because I feel like gossip monger for reading it!
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January 8, 2020Enjoyable read. Happened close to where I live. Writer always gave input from Zephany perspective.
The read also revealed how complex her situation was and how she was managed with reference to the various role players.
The read also revealed how complex her situation was and how she was managed with reference to the various role players.
July 17, 2021
Surprising exploration of the complexities of identity in post-Apartheid SA. Harrowing to live it I’m sure and my heart goes out to Zephany and her birth family and adoptive father.
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