Two Thousand Minnows

A testament to human resilience and the power of hope, TWO THOUSAND MINNOWS is the extremely moving story of an American family. Sandra, the oldest of three, was only eight when she first protected her mother against her father's fury, helping her escape the house in the midst of winter, and later retrieving her through an open window. They had just moved to the isolated mountains of West Virginia to begin their new life. A city girl, Sandra soon lost herself in the magic of the long hot summer days full of discovery, from rope swinging into the clear river to catching minnows, all while navigating around her abusive and unpredictable father. Then her mother, pregnant again, went to the hospital to give birth--only to return without the baby. For the next ten years, her family--with her alcoholic father at the helm and her mother battling depression--traveled across the country from West Virginia to California and back again in search of stability, each destination holding out the elusive promise of "making it." As we travel with Sandra and her family on their cross-country journey, we come to realize that in chasing a dream, they are actually running from reality. The truth about the mysterious death of the baby gradually unfolds, and with every move and adjustment, Sandra becomes more convinced that the baby her mother claimed had died is in fact alive, and that somewhere out in the world, a sister waits to be found. In a memoir full of stunning honesty, Sandra displays both fortitude and frailty. Her dogmatic belief in her lost sister propels her into the realm of magic, for it is truly a miracle when, twenty years later, the secret is finally revealed--and Sandra, performing a feat of bravery and hope, makes contact with her sister.