Customer Reviews

The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I preordered this book back in June and had forgotten about it until it arrived in my mailbox. I started reading it last night and am almost halfway through it. I grew up on Cape Cod, and never heard of this until a few years ago when the suspected shooter's wife was murdered. This story hits really close to home, because my father was a police officer, and my worst fear was that he would get hurt/killed at his job. This family is amazing. The hell that they went through, and the complete miscarriage of justice is appalling. There is no question that this case was completely bungled/covered up.

John Busby is an advocate for extending the statute of limitations on crimes against police officers. A few years ago, the brother of the suspected shooter admitted he was the driver while his brother shot Officer Busby, but because the statute of limitations had run out, he could not be charged.

Ironically, the suspected shooter has been in a mental institution because he suffers from dementia since 2001. Some call it poetic justice. Amazing and haunting, don't miss this book.

I grew up in Falmouth during the time of 'Ray Meyers'. I remember the people in this book. I remember the pain of losing a friend that was murdered during this. I never knew many of the details about this time. Officer Busby and his daughter gave me those details in this book and helped me put order to the confusion from that time. I could not help but cry reading this book. I have to say I liked the way he and his daughter took turns writing the chapters. This book is a great perspective from a child's point of view when faced with awful, life-altering tragedy. Her perspective reminded me of how parents always tried to hide things from children back then. Officer Busby's story reminded me how truly horrible things happen to truly good people. He also reminded me why parents try to shield their children from those horrors.
This book is a testament to a family's strength of character and love for one another. They are the type of people we ought to look upto and use as role models, not folks who are celebrity for celebrity sake. This family never, never wanted any of this. They faced this with such strength and resilience that I can only stand in awe and complete respect for them.
For those who might find it interesting 48 Hours Mystery will be doing this story sometime in February of 2009. I would suggest you read this book and then watch the story.

loved this book. I found it fascinating and a wonderful read. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. When I did take breaks, I came out and told my family what I had read. I usually do that, and they're usually not interested. They found my reports on this story as engaging as I did. What struck me most about this book was the love. I think Polly's strength, and John's strength, too, were probably the source of this love, and the children responded to it. They couldn't have survived without that love.

This book was incredible. I could not put it down! When I finally finished it on one Sunday, my husband asked me "Are you finished? You haven't talked to me all weekend!"
It captured my interest as my family lived near, Reine's corner, the trash truck depot, the junk yard and the Busy's. I knew the selectmen and some of the officers mentioned.
This should become a movie! It reminded me of the type of story as "The Client".
The Busby's were so brave, I didn't realize what they were living through as my school bus drove passed their house each afternoon. I remember all of a sudden a tall stockade fence appearing around the house. I am still amazed at how Polly continued school through all of this!
Great reading!!

Officer John Busby was on his way to work as a police officer on Cape Cod when he was ambushed from a moving vehicle. The injuries he sustained that day in 1979 resulted in months and months of painful reconstructive surgery and healing. Beyond the physical injury was the damage done to his family: he, his wife and three children were forced to live under heavy police protection, as the would-be killer might come after any of them at any time.

This tale of a family whose life is turned upside-down is told as a memoir, the chapters alternating between John's recollections and those of his daughter, Cylin, who was nine years old at the time of the events. This format works well, as we see the same chronology seen through different eyes: the rage and pain of the father, and the confusion and dismay of his young daughter.

The Year We Disappeared does contain some rather disturbing description of the shooting and the injuries sustained, and for some young readers this may be hard to take. But overall, this book is suitable for, say, tenth grade to adult. The writing is direct in a refreshing way: reading it, we feel as though we're getting the unadorned truth, not a literary effort. Cylin's writing, especially, is evocative, bringing in elements of childhood to which I could easily relate. That helps bring the family to life on the printed page.

This is a tale of adversity and of survival, with a good dose of suspense, since every bump in the night is a potential source of terror. Still, this isn't a thriller -- it's the story of a family determined to survive, together. It's well worth reading.

I just watched this story on 48 hours and will order the book as well. I used to live on Cape Cod (as an outsider moving in) and can identify so well with what they went through. The family is heroes to me. John Busby is an amazing man. This story has touched my life forever. Will recommend this book to EVERYONE!

It was a great read. My only criticism is the failure of the authors to reveal the true names of all the characters involved. I was a teenager living in the town of Falmouth when this all happened. I am familiar with the true names of some of the less than innocent players in this true life drama. I would have appreciated knowing the names of some of the less than honorable police officers and town administrators involved. I was wondering why the authors, though they used their own names and the names of those that supported them, changed the names of the bad characters in this narrative? Perhaps, exposure of their actions would enable true justice to prevail.

This is a truly amazing book. The book alternates between the father and daughter so you can get both prespectives about what was going on.

Its sad that the kids at school and the parents in town were so terrible to them.

This family is truly inspiring. I'm sad that this happened to John and that the police never charged the shooter.

Read it - you'll be hooked.

I saw this story on tv last year. I bought this book to read the rest of the story but found it too be a bit boring. The book is written by father and daughter and it feels as if they are telling two different stories. Donated to my local library.

Very well written book. It was a real eye opener into the "good Ole boy" type of
corruption in a small town. An honest policeman, whose whole family suffered, because he took his job to heart and did it correctly. Couldn't put it down.