Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak

Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak is a fascinating nonfiction book about how the families of their two college daughters coped with the awful incident resulting in their identities being switched. The one daughter was killed in the accident while the other survived with extensive injuries. 

The parents of the one who was killed, Laura, thought the one in the hospital bed was their daughter and only found out after five weeks that she wasn't and that their daughter had really died. The parents of the one in the hospital, Whitney, were told she was killed in the accident and didn't know Whitney was actually alive until five weeks later.

Both were strong Christian families who relied on God to get them through and saw him provide for their needs.

Although I felt sadness for what the families went through, I was uplifted and encouraged in my own faith by all the scripture and their great Christian example. I'd say the moral of this is to go and make a positive ID yourself when you find out a family member was killed. Whitney's parents both just took the word of the coroner instead of checking out the body for themselves. 

I still don't really understand how Laura's parents didn't realize that it wasn't their daughter in that hospital bed all that time. Eventually, other visitors had doubts and when Whitney could communicate, she told them her name was Whitney.
(KAREN'S REVIEW:6/20/08)


WOW, what a book! I could go on and on about this book, but the main thing is both families' unwavering faith in the Lord. You will feel a wide range of emotions. Quick read, you get into it right away. I thank both families for sharing this story and their love of the Lord. Continued blessings from our Lord to all. Please read this awesome book, it will stay with you.

(GERARD'S REVIEW 6/15/08)