The True Story of a Kidnapping - and My Search for the Real Me

When I finished the book I had more questions than when I started it. Did he think he was going to find a great family, great families don't abandon children. Was finding the dysfunctional family a good excuse for his abandoning his wife?

I bought this book because of the subtitle: The True story of a kidnapping, a family secret and my search for the real me. Little did I know how much time would be spent on the "search". The author was fortunate to have a team of geneologists helping him along the way. If that interests you, and it did me, this is a good book. I thought there would be more about the kidnapping and the resolution, but I was okay with the path the book took regarding the author's search for the truth.

I was really enjoying this story, but found the writer went in to too much fine details. I then became very sad at his attempts to find out about his past at the expense and happiness of his and his family. It did make me feel that, yes he had a terrible young life, and his search (in the beginning) was justified, but at what cost to the one he met later in life? The saying that your life is precious and you only pass this way once is very true, especially in this person's life and I feel he should have let it go and enjoy the present. It was a long story, well written, but in my opinion a wasted effort.

I found Mr. Fronczak completely unlikeable and therefore found myself not very interested in his story. I did finish the book, but did not really care how it ended. He was completely uninterested in how his action affected the people around him. He left a trail of broken relationships with both his "old" family and his "new" family. This story had no Soul. Facts yes, Soul no. A good read needs some Soul, some passion, some inspiration, otherwise it is just a read- not a good read. This book is a read.

A real life mystery… very intriguing and kept me turning pages until the very end.

Paul Joseph Fronczak never felt like he “belonged” with his family. But it wasn’t until he was 10 years old that he discovered old newspaper articles in his family’s basement all about his kidnapping from the hospital the day after he was born, and then his ultimate recovery two years later that he really started having questions. And the main question was “I am – the boy who was recovered – really the boy who was kidnapped? Am I the real Paul Fronczak?” A heck of a question!

He didn’t find any answers, or even begin to look for answers, until after his own daughter was born and he was questioned about his family medical history. When a DNA test proved he was not Paul Fronczak, this raised a slew of other questions: Who am I? Where is the real Paul Fronczak?

This was a fascinating read with an ongoing FBI investigation, genetic genealogy (trying to build family trees from DNA) and classic genealogy searches. My mother has always been big into genealogy, so for me, reading about the process of tracking family down through oral histories, old documents, censuses, etc., was fascinating for me to read about. I very much enjoyed the search and how the “mystery” played out.

The sad part for me is how many people were hurt by the investigation. I naturally can’t relate to the author’s need to find his real family, as I was not adopted, but I have heard that this is a normal reaction to finding out that your family isn’t your “real” family. I won’t question the author there. Unfortunately, the author did strike me as a bit naïve (in fact, he used that word to describe himself so often it almost seemed a joke by the end of the book) in not thinking through the various repercussions of his search. Just a couple of examples:

In proving that he was not the real Paul Fronczak, this immediately caused the FBI to reopen the kidnapping case because there is no statute of limitations on child kidnapping. If/when the real Paul is found, the kidnapper (possibly the woman he believes is his real mother) will be arrested. (Not that this wouldn’t be appropriate, but whoa!)

Also, in (eventually) finding his real family and making contact, he will be bringing to light the fact that somebody (likely a parent) abandoned him as a very young child… if he has siblings, or if his parents are still alive, how is this going to affect that family? And if he turns up a potentially even darker secret…

I am not suggesting that the search for one’s origins and family is not a legitimate goal, but the reason I say the author was a bit naïve is because he actually seemed hurt when people got angry with him or didn’t want to welcome him with open arms. After all, none of this was done quietly and privately but was broadcast across national television over a period of years.

And of course, the truly sad part: In his mania for searching and discovering his “real” family, his own marriage was sacrificed, and now his daughter is in shared custody. This seemed like an ironic and tragic loss for a person who threw all caution to the wind because of his unshakable conviction that family was the most important thing of all.

When it is all said and done (or read and done?), this book presented an intriguing mystery, was factually interesting and also, clearly, evoked emotions on my part. I probably wouldn’t read it again, but I’m certainly not sorry I read it the first time!

Certainly the author has an interesting history. I thought it could have been shorter, though-- would have liked it better as a newspaper article. I sympathized with his long suffering wife who had to put up with his "I had to...." pursuit of his biological family for so long. I kept thinking, "this search is a total disaster, why is he putting his most important family relationships at risk to pursue this madness?" This is a search that I believe I would have put one toe in the water and said "nope, not going any farther with this". But I know who my parents are and have no interest whatever in members of my extended family that I don't know.

Certainly the author has an interesting history. I thought it could have been shorter, though-- would have liked it better as a newspaper article. I sympathized with his long suffering wife who had to put up with his "I had to...." pursuit of his biological family for so long. I kept thinking, "this search is a total disaster, why is he putting his most important family relationships at risk to pursue this madness?" This is a search that I believe I would have put one toe in the water and said "nope, not going any farther with this". But I know who my parents are and have no interest whatever in members of my extended family that I don't know.

An astonishing, riveting, and heartfelt debut memoir of an infant abduction that led to the largest manhunt in the history of Chicago: “The Foundling” authored by Paul Fronczak with Alex Tresniowski is also about search for identity and truth found in family ties and connections, whether biological or of the heart.

Part I-- The Fronczak infant boy (Paul Joseph), born at the Chicago Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago on April 27, 1964 was abducted by a woman posing as a nurse. The suspect was seen by several people with the infant, after she took the baby from his mother for an alleged medical examination. On May 5th, Dora and Chester Fronczak returned to their home in an unmarked police car, as news media reporters attempted to get exclusive comments and interviews.
The local police force and FBI conducted an extensive search and investigation, yet the infant wasn’t found at the time. On July 2, 1965 an abandoned boy toddler was found at an exclusive shopping center in Newark, NJ.
By March of 1966, the FBI couldn’t confirm or deny the true identity of this “foundling” child. When Dora Fronczak saw the NJ toddler for the first time, she exclaimed: “My God! This is my baby!” Since no proof could be legally established, the Fronczak’s were permitted by the state of New Jersey to legally adopt the boy in 1967.

When Paul was an older youth, he found and read the old newspaper clippings of the mysterious child abduction. His overprotective mother never let him out of her sight, he was never allowed to roam about the neighborhood with his friends. Instinctively, Paul realized he was an “outsider” in his family. He didn’t resemble or act like a Fronczak; in their family portrait Paul looked as if he was photo-shopped in, he and his younger brother Dave had never gotten along. As Fronczak matured, he would realize in his strange and unusual upbringing, that his parents never acted in a manner of “mean-ness or neglect “ but were traumatized and acted out of fear resulting from their ordeal.
The continuing “nagging mystery” surrounding his existence, reached a higher troubling point when Paul and his second wife Michelle were to become parents, and needed his medical history. The ordeal was no longer just about him, and would include his newborn daughter Emma Faith. Paul took a DNA test-- if he wasn’t Paul Fronczak, who was he?

In Part II-- Paul Fronczak’s story was picked up by the media on April 25, 2013. The story was presented by multi-award winning journalist George Knapp who broke the famous story of “USAF Area 51”. Hundreds of messages and tips flooded in. In addition, Paul was later interviewed by Barbara Walters for the television program 20/20. New terminology was learned: NPE- (Non-Paternity Event) – ULP- (Unidentified Living Person). Each year over 135,000 children are adopted and 400,000 are in Foster Care. Paul was contacted by the FBI, and learned that boxes of files for the Fronczak case had been slated to be shredded, but were remarkably found in a storage room, the case was reopened in August 2013.
The book highlighted the possibilities for identification through DNA testing and the dedicated efforts of genetic genealogists that donated hundreds of research hours on his case. As Fronczak became consumed by the search for his truth, his personal life was impacted in unexpected ways as he gained profound insight regarding the unnatural act of child abandonment, forgiveness, and living an authentic life. ~ With appreciation to Howard Books via NetGalley for the DRC for the purpose of review.

A real life mystery… very intriguing and kept me turning pages until the very end.

Paul Joseph Fronczak never felt like he “belonged” with his family. But it wasn’t until he was 10 years old that he discovered old newspaper articles in his family’s basement all about his kidnapping from the hospital the day after he was born, and then his ultimate recovery two years later that he really started having questions. And the main question was “I am – the boy who was recovered – really the boy who was kidnapped? Am I the real Paul Fronczak?” A heck of a question!

He didn’t find any answers, or even begin to look for answers, until after his own daughter was born and he was questioned about his family medical history. When a DNA test proved he was not Paul Fronczak, this raised a slew of other questions: Who am I? Where is the real Paul Fronczak?

This was a fascinating read with an ongoing FBI investigation, genetic genealogy (trying to build family trees from DNA) and classic genealogy searches. My mother has always been big into genealogy, so for me, reading about the process of tracking family down through oral histories, old documents, censuses, etc., was fascinating for me to read about. I very much enjoyed the search and how the “mystery” played out.

The sad part for me is how many people were hurt by the investigation. I naturally can’t relate to the author’s need to find his real family, as I was not adopted, but I have heard that this is a normal reaction to finding out that your family isn’t your “real” family. I won’t question the author there. Unfortunately, the author did strike me as a bit naïve (in fact, he used that word to describe himself so often it almost seemed a joke by the end of the book) in not thinking through the various repercussions of his search. Just a couple of examples:

In proving that he was not the real Paul Fronczak, this immediately caused the FBI to reopen the kidnapping case because there is no statute of limitations on child kidnapping. If/when the real Paul is found, the kidnapper (possibly the woman he believes is his real mother) will be arrested. (Not that this wouldn’t be appropriate, but whoa!)

Also, in (eventually) finding his real family and making contact, he will be bringing to light the fact that somebody (likely a parent) abandoned him as a very young child… if he has siblings, or if his parents are still alive, how is this going to affect that family? And if he turns up a potentially even darker secret…

I am not suggesting that the search for one’s origins and family is not a legitimate goal, but the reason I say the author was a bit naïve is because he actually seemed hurt when people got angry with him or didn’t want to welcome him with open arms. After all, none of this was done quietly and privately but was broadcast across national television over a period of years.

And of course, the truly sad part: In his mania for searching and discovering his “real” family, his own marriage was sacrificed, and now his daughter is in shared custody. This seemed like an ironic and tragic loss for a person who threw all caution to the wind because of his unshakable conviction that family was the most important thing of all.

When it is all said and done (or read and done?), this book presented an intriguing mystery, was factually interesting and also, clearly, evoked emotions on my part. I probably wouldn’t read it again, but I’m certainly not sorry I read it the first time!

I liked The Foundling by Paul Joseph Fronczak. It was a sad book. The women who helped Fronczak search for his family were amazing. They all volunteered their time to help Fronczak and they did not know him. They were the true hero's of the book.

The family dynamics in the book were very sad. This book is like a train wreck as you are not certain why you keep reading it. You keep reading because there is a lot of heart in the book.

I would recommend The Foundling to readers who like: non-fiction, memoirs, are interested in genealogy, and interesting family dynamics.

Truth really is stranger than fiction. The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Joseph Fronczak with Alex Tresniowski is one of those 'I can't believe its true', shake your head stories ......

As a child, Paul always felt a little out of step with the rest of his family. When he was ten, he found a box of newspaper clippings in the basement covering the 1964 kidnapping and (a few years later) recovery of a Baby Paul. Stunned, he asked his parents about it and was rebuffed. As an adult, Paul pursued the details and discovered fifty years later that he was in fact, not the kidnapped Fronczak baby.

Can you even begin to imagine this!? Paul embarks on a near impossible task to discover who he really is. And where could the real Paul be? The best tools in the box? Genealogy and DNA.

I was fascinated (and in awe) of the search techniques employed by both the professional and amateur genealogical sleuths that take Paul's case on. Step by step we follow along as Paul hits another dead end or finds a possible link. This was a long and almost impossible journey. Yes, he does find answers......but perhaps not the ones he imagined when he began his search. Fronczak's search will raise question for the listener or reader. What is family? How do you define family? How important is it to know your roots? Those questions also arise for Paul - his search for his 'real' identity and family wreaks havoc with his own family and parents. I didn't agree with every decision or pronouncement Paul made, but I was fascinated by this story.

I chose to listen to this book - the reader was Kirby Heyborne. Heyborne's voice was quite suited to the content of this book. He captured and illustrated Paul's hurt, hope, despair, incredulity and joy with his voice. His reading is well paced, well modulated and his voice is very easy to listen to.

As an avid genealogist and DNA researcher, I found this book and Paul’s story intriguing and fully understand his obsession with finding out the three mysteries at hand. People who discredit Paul, call him selfish, etc. obviously have not been exposed to a life changing occurrence such as Paul’s. It’s one thing being given up for adoption and always wondering what the circumstances were, who your birth parents and extended family are, medical history, etc. but finding out you were abandoned and that there is no record of “you” must be devastating! In 1989 I “found” my nephew that my sister gave up in 1968, this was before the Internet had records available, no affordable DNA testing, and locked down records were common. I broke the case in two months. Since then I’ve been hooked on family research and helping as many people as possible find their long lost family. Paul’s book held my attention like no book has in many years! I hope he has the opportunity to write a follow up book detailing how he solved the remaining two mysteries!

Paul J Fronczak's new book "The Foundling." I finished his book early this morning (of which I could not put down) and I have been trying to digest and/or comprehend just exactly what he has gone though in his amazing journey (to no fault of his own). His story is beyond remarkable. I can't even quantify or process all of it fully. Powerful, overwhelming, intriguing, and mind-blowing at times. I had not realized the depth and the scope of Paul's courage. Even more so, are his own personal revelations and understanding of himself. His journey revealed to me (and him, I'm sure) a much greater level of depth than probably ever realized. As hard as it is for all of us sometimes to revisit the past, it is what we take away and how we move forward that defines us in the never ending quest of personal development and discovery. To truly come to terms with who exactly we are. To acknowledge it! To accept it! And to move towards a state of perpetual growth for the betterment of thyself, those we love, and if we're lucky, a positive impact to the world around us. This is a must read!

The Foundling is the true story about a man searching for answers about his past. Paul was born at the Chicago Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago in 1964 and shortly after abducted by a woman posing as a nurse. About two years later he was returned to his family, but when he grew up he had doubts about his past and whether or not he really was the Fronczak’s boy. A DNA test confirmed his fears and sent him on a search to discover the real him.

This story had a lot of twists and turns to it that will appeal to fans of a good page turning mystery. The author’s search for his identity is also easy to relate to and an interesting exploration of how we view ourselves and our connections to family.

Fascinating story about identity and family. I knew nothing about the author's story and sympathized with him even as his search takes a toll on his relationships. The roles played by genealogy and DNA were especially interesting and I liked how honest he was about his mistakes and imperfections. Well worth reading.

I'm very interested in genealogy as well as memoirs, so I enjoyed this book very much. Paul listened to a voice inside himself that questioned his true identity. He had reasons to believe that he was not Paul Fronczak, the baby kidnapped from his mother's arms while still in the hospital after giving birth. His search for his true identity was supported by many people as well as the power of social media. I will follow his story as he continues to search for the real Paul Fronczak.

I just finished this, only *barely* resisting the temptation to stay up all night reading on to the end. WOW! No fiction could touch the true story of this man's incredible life. It's extremely well-written and tells a complex and heartfelt story beautifully. I plan to follow the case online in hopes of more developments in the future, and I know I'm not alone.

Review of The Foundling by Paul Joseph Fronczak

Paul's story is facinating beyond belief. The story of not knowing who you are is unfortunately felt by hundreds of thousands of adoptive children every day. Paul proves in the pages of his book that it is not a bad thing to attempt to know yourself. Through the many twists and turn that take place in the book, he credits his team of expert genealogists and modern forensic science with the ability to open another chapter in his life. Through the journey Paul always notes how much he loves his mom and dad. The hindsight provided in the end, at least for me proves how much life could have been very very different. This book hooked me in the first 20 pages. Its a mystery, thriller, and a tear jerker. The amount of sacrifice put into this case is worthy the money of the book. Now excuse me, I have to go hug a kid and do a family tree.

5/5

Readers note. I read it in like 9 hours. It was perfect for me.

I literally couldn't put this book down. I watched a rerun of 20/20 the other day and was excited that Paul had written a book. I checked it out of the library yesterday and just finished it. Amazing story and almost stranger than fiction. My only critique is that I wish there was a diagramed family tree. Nevertheless, one of the best books that I've ever read!!

The premise of the story works like a hook. Baby kidnapped by a fake nurse, another infant abandoned in public. Why not peice together a family? Unfortunately the experiment was fraught with hurt and secrecy. If you are a genealogy buff I recommend this but I am not. I had a hard time getting through it. Bless the families involved.

Truly captivating. I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed this story. As a reader of true crimes, which mostly involve serial killers and murder, this was a true crime on another level. To hear the devastation that this man endured as a young child was incredibly sad and eye opening. Being a child of the 60's myself, I can see now how so much child abuse was literally ignored. Now I wonder how many other infants and toddlers "just disappeared" with little or no investigation. I highly recommend this story, especially to other true crime readers. I hope there will be a follow up story if more info is found! Great job, Paul! And kudos to you for searching for the truth.

I loved this book. It was interesting both on the personal level (the intimate details of Fronczak's life) and the general (the inner workings of the adoption world). It's not a subject I knew much about, and assumed it to be relatively uncomplicated, but The Foundling showed me that it is more complex than I ever could have imagined.

In the beginning, this was an intriguing story, particularly for a reader who knew nothing about the case. Paul Fronczak discovered at the age of 10 that he was kidnapped as a newborn, and later returned to his parents two years later. When he confronted his mother with his new knowledge, she became angry and made it clear the topic was not to be discussed; it was over and was not going to be relived. Fast forward many decades--Mr. Fronczak saw paternity DNA tests in a drug store and convinced his visiting parents to provide samples, just to see for sure that he was their son. He was not.

Thus, began an obsessive search for the author. Who was he? Who were his real parents? What happened to the real baby Paul? The word “obsessive” is not being used lightly here either. While Mr. Fronczak’s wife kept pointing out that he was often emotionally abandoning her and their daughter to look for his “real” family, as well as the missing baby, he repeatedly admitted he ignored her warnings, even though he knew he should not. They ended up separating. Much of the book was about the author’s mixed emotions about the matter, and his inability to stop searching for more and more answers. So, in a sense, this was a therapy type memoir.

It also deeply explored DNA testing; the companies that now provide it to everyone, such as Ancestry.com; and researchers who tirelessly attempt to put together family trees and discover lost relatives. A few of those researchers immensely helped Mr. Fronczak and he eventually discovered his biological family. He knew his real name and some of the circumstances involving his abandonment at the age of two. He also discovered he had a twin sister, and no one knows what happened to her. There was a good chance she was killed, either accidentally or intentionally.

This gets us to all the information in the book about his biological family. Since crimes obviously occurred, the author had no problems invading anyone’s and everyone’s privacy, and talking on and on about this family. While some readers may find that interesting, others will recognize yet another memoirist who feels all readers have unlimited interest in his or her relatives. By the time the end of the book is reached, an intriguing story had turned into a bit of a self-absorbed, tiresome one.

In addition, one was left with the impression that Paul Fronczak still felt he did not know who he truly was, and would continue searching for his twin and the stolen baby Paul. Continued searching is not necessarily a bad thing, except the author obviously has trouble living in the present; but finds more meaning and happiness discovering and dwelling on the past; and anxiously awaiting future news about the case. It has become one huge never-ending drama. Are genes and early childhood experiences what determines happiness and success in life? Or is it all the decisions one freely makes every day starting at a very young age? You are what you do. What you do is the real you.

(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.)

The Foundling by Paul Fronczak is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late February.

What began as a tragic, dramatic real-life story (a newborn baby boy kidnapped by a woman posing nurse, while another baby boy is abandoned in a pram in front of a high-price metropolitan department store) turns into a series of rhetorical questions, missed opportunities, philosophical turning points, conflicting family records, false starts, hunches, and dead ends in genetic research.