Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me

reviewed on + 1443 more book reviews


Adopted, Paul Fronczak, needs to know his origins. His parents identified him as the baby his mother lost to a kidnapper when he was born in the hospital. He didn't look like any member of the family and his interests are totally differentl from theirs. He feels like he doesn't belong. One day he discovers hidden paperwork showing he was adopted. Finding who he is becomes a passion that consumes his life and eventually destroys his marriage.

At 50 years of age, he discovers through a DNA test that he is not the child his parents believed. While finding the truth is not available through regular means. advances in DNA testing helps with the search. With painstakingly documented research, leaving no lead unexplored, Paul's journey contains all the names of people he meets and places he visits.

It is a sad story because Paul Fronczak's search hurts many of those he loves whe the tale of the kidnapping becomes front page news. While he loves his adoptive parents, he persists until he discovers his origins.