The Missing Pieces of Mum is a heartbreaking true story of an abandoned baby and a daughter’s search for more information about her mother’s past. I felt as though I was reading the transcript of an episode of Long Lost Family - the television programme helping foundlings track down their personal history and reuniting separated family members.
The details of Phyllis and her childhood years in a brutal orphanage, followed by a troubled marriage, left me in tears. Especially when her daughter, Sally, finally managed to find some answers after a decade of searching for the truth, just as it seemed that time was running out.
The Missing Pieces of Mum is a fascinating and compelling story that reads like fiction. It's packed with despair, love, suspense, twists and turns, and family secrets. And it's also a story of hope and fighting against the odds, with Phyllis achieving her dream of becoming a nurse.
A well-written book that tugs at the heartstrings and refuses to let go - not easily forgotten.
A stolen past, a search for the truth, two lives changed forever Born out of wedlock in Dublin in 1937, Phyllis grew up in a tough, church run orphanage. She thought by fulfilling her dream to become a nurse in England, her life might change, but her loveless childhood predisposed a loveless marriage and things began to spiral out of control for her and for her daughter, Sally. Looking for the answers to why both their lives went so spectacularly wrong, led Sally to ask questions about the real identity of her mother: “Who was she? Why was she abandoned... I needed to find answers before it was too late.” After a mission lasting nearly a decade of searching archives and contacting various organisations, charities and anyone who would listen, Sally finally uncovered the truth.
