For The Love Of Audrey Lyn

At the age of six, living in New York, she was the third of six children born to a woman who had allowed drugs and alcohol to rule her life. The child was placed for adoption by the Department of Children and Families. She was brought to Florida at the age of nine, with only a few memories of her life before foster care. Two and a half years later, the adoption failed and the little girl was deserted. Our fourth foster child came into our lives, not only suffering from the loss of her biological family, but the loss of her adoptive family as well. Those who had adopted her had destroyed her paperwork and no one seemed to have record of the child's last name at birth. She was tiny, emotionally fragile and absolutely beautiful. There was so much pain and anger that she rejected even the slightest touch of affection. This beautiful little girl, without a home, a family or even her own last name, stood before me, her future in my hands. So ill equipped to handle the needs of this little girl was I that sometimes I wondered what on earth I had been thinking. And then other days, I felt so much pride as she revealed the strength of the human spirit.

An unwed mother, a homeless man, a curious boy, a criminal act of violence- these have nothing in common with each other...or do they? As the story unfolds, you'll see things aren't as they first appear.... and "What Family Does" to bring about the surprising culmination of these events will not only take you by surprise, but also warms your heart.

USE PARAGRAPHS BELOW FOR BACK COVER OF BOOK _________________________________________________________________________________ As I tried to fall asleep that night, my thoughts kept returning to the words I had shared with the little girl. All of a sudden, I remembered Norma Jean and the story she had told me two and a half years before. Oh, my, could it be possible both of them had been telling me of the same little boy? I knew then God was trying to tell me something. Why else would he have placed these two people in my path more than two years apart. There had to be a reason I was there with Jan now. So many lives have touched mine and their stories are waiting to be heard. Within these pages are the joys, the pain, the understanding, the love, the laughter and God's plan in each circumstance. Each word is a glimpse into the inner being behind the face, through the eyes, which watch the world around me. You just never know where God will lead you and you never know what God is leading you to. But you can rest in the knowledge He has a plan and a reason for you to be where He places you each and every day of your life. Keep your eyes open because it is always there in wait for you to recognize and grasp...God's outstretched, guiding hand.

Despite pleas from his court, a fun-loving king refuses to get out of his bathtub to rule his kingdom.

The book begins with the story of Audrey Lyn Nerenberg, who's been missing since 1977. It describes the day she went for a walk around the corner to buy a pack of cigarettes and never returned home. No one has ever discovered what happened to her despite the efforts of the Police, FBI and many missing person organizations. The story continues with some of the circumstances surrounding Audrey's disappearance that made her case less likely to be carefully scrutinized by the 1977 law enforcement team. As a result, the NYC Missing Persons Squad of today must trace stale clues left over from the past two decades in order to retrace Audrey's last known foot steps. Although Audrey was ill with Schitzophrenia, and had been determined of having the mental capacity of a minor, she was not searched for as missing child would have been. She was considered nothing more than just another runaway. This section ends with the huge battle on April 10, 2002 to convince Florida Congresswoman Karen L. Thurman to introduce the bill H.R. 4162, also known as the "Audrey Nerenberg Act" in the House of Representatives. The big fight was won, but the battle is not over yet because it has to be voted on by congress. But Rep. Thurman is convinced that this bill will seek to amend the "Missing Children's Assistance Act" to include missing adults determined to have a mental capacity of a child under 18 years old. Comment on the work "Give Me Back My Daughter, Audrey!" is a stirring and emotional work that conveys the love and joy you have shared with your family over the years, as well as the pain you have suffered over the loss of loved ones. This work can be of great help to others who have suffered losses similar to your own. Elizabeth H. House The book, "MILTON NERENBERG: GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER, AUDREY!" is a compelling well told, but sad story of a father's and family's ongoing search for their daughter, Audrey. The book provides a vivid account of the Nerenberg's family history with text and color photos. A must read for everyone. Milton was thoughtful enough to remember his good friend, Jim, whose wife, Patricia Viola, has been missing since 2/13/01 and is documented in a web site, http://patriciaviolamissing.homestead.com. Jim Viola

Tobias knows that women are a lot of trouble, and one in particular is more trouble than most. Yet even with the knowledge that she's a pain in the ass, he doesn't stop himself from doing the one thing he knows that he shouldn't do-fall in love with her. It's supposed to be simple. Get in, get the girl, and get out. What Tobias isn't supposed to do is fall for the woman he's supposed to rescue. But he can't help being intrigued-and amused-by the defiance rolling off Audrey every time he so much as speaks to her. This fascination only intensifies with every single word from her delectable mouth. *** It's been six years since her assault, yet it feels like it happened just yesterday. Audrey's sick and tired of feeling so useless. She's had enough of being scared, she doesn't want to be all alone for the rest of her life. All of that boils down to a woman who's had enough of not doing anything to reclaim her life. She's at a loss as to how to move on, and every attempt she makes results in failure. Just when she's ready to quit, a sexy biker is there to push her out of her comfort zone. Under Tobias' patient guidance, Audrey slowly makes her way back to herself. She lands a job that she adores, and she thinks she's finally found her place in this world. Most surprisingly, though, she finds herself falling in love with a man that honestly scares her to death. Just when she vows to take that final step that'll put her past in her past forever, the life she wants to live is yanked away. Leaving her with nothing to pick up the pieces.

Eleven stunning stories that explore the most intimate and transforming moments of existence, from Nobel Prize–winning author Alice Munro, “one of the foremost practitioners of the short story” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times). “Throughout this remarkable collection moments of insight flash from the pages like lightning, not necessarily providing answers—more like showing the way to new questions.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer A divorced woman returns to her childhood home where she confronts the memory of her parents’ confounding yet deep bond. The accidental near-drowning of a child exposes to the shaken mother the fragility between children and parents. A young man, remembering a terrifying childhood incident, wrestles with the responsibility he has always felt for his hapless younger brother. A man brings his lover on a visit to his ex-wife, only to feel unexpectedly closer to his estranged partner. In these and other stories, Alice Munro proves once again a sensitive and compassionate chronicler of our times. Drawing us into the most intimate corners of ordinary lives, she reveals much about ourselves, our choices, and our experiences of love.

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2021 BY THE NEW YORK POST AND BOOK RIOT NAMED A BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK OF 2021 BY CRIMEREADS For readers of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Phantom of Fifth Avenue, "a sensational story told with nuance and humanity" (Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author) about the sordid court battle between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother. At the turn of the twentieth century, emboldened American women began to seek passion and livelihood outside the home. This alarmed authorities, who feared "over-sexed" women could destroy civilization, either by crossing the color line or passing their evident defects on to their children. Set against this backdrop, The Unfit Heiress chronicles the fight for inheritance between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother Maryon, who had her daughter sterilized without her knowledge. A sensational court case ensued, and powerful eugenicists saw an opportunity to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come. This riveting story unfolds through the brilliant research of Audrey Clare Farley, who captures the interior lives of these women on the pages and poses questions that remain relevant today: What does it mean to be "unfit" for motherhood? How do racial anxieties continue to influence who does and does not reproduce? In the battle for reproductive rights, can we forgive those who side against us? And can we forgive our mothers if they are the ones who inflict the deepest wounds?