Two Thousand Minnows: A Young Girl's Story of Separation, Hope, and Forgiveness

(Paperback)

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Description

When Sandra Vaughan was seven years old, she fell into the role of protector of her mother and three younger siblings. One winter night, she ushered her mother out of the house during one of her fathers tirades, and then snuck her back into the dark home through a window.
Sandra was used to events like these; what she wasnt used to were the mountains and nature surrounding her new home in West Virginia. Raised in the city, it took some time to get used to the long, hot summer days and nights, but she soon found that the forests, rivers, and mountains were more secure and comforting than the house that held her abusive and volatile father. Catching minnows in the gentle river, riding on rope swings, and exploring the outdoors distracted her from what was waiting at home.
But then, her mother became pregnant again, and Sandras concern for her family and their well-being grew when her mother returned home from the hospital without the baby.
In Two Thousand Minnows, Sandra reflects on the events of her childhood and adolescence, including the time spent traveling across the country with her anxious, worn out family in a small, cramped car. As Sandra grows older, she realizes that what theyre chasing when they move from town to townthe perfect, stable lifecannot exist, at least for her, until she has the answers to all the questions she never asked. As an adult, Sandra decides to stop running from the past and instead revisit it, refusing to give up until she unearths the truthand finds the sister who never came home.

Reviews

"One doesnt have to have a family mysteryin this case, a lost sisterto become absorbed and moved by this beautiful book. I stayed up late, caught up in this story of a West Virginia girl's search for a lost babyand her own truest self." Laura Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements

"Like many stories of survival, Leigh's includes some powerful moments, and she is a sympathetic narrator... It's likely to offer welcome comfort to readers who endured childhood traumas themselves." Publisher's Weekly

"Honest, compelling, and smart. It will at times make you laugh, and at times break your heart. Sand Leigh's memoir is one of the great literary discoveries of the year." Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s
"One doesnt have to have a family mysteryin this case, a lost sisterto become absorbed and moved by this beautiful book. I stayed up late, caught up in this story of a West Virginia girl's search for a lost babyand her own truest self." Laura Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements

"Like many stories of survival, Leigh's includes some powerful moments, and she is a sympathetic narrator... It's likely to offer welcome comfort to readers who endured childhood traumas themselves." Publisher's Weekly

"Honest, compelling, and smart. It will at times make you laugh, and at times break your heart. Sand Leigh's memoir is one of the great literary discoveries of the year." Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s

Author Bio

Sandra Leigh Vaughan grew up in West Virginia and northern California. She moved to LA when she was twenty-five and began her career in film and TV. A commercial producer, she now lives in the mountains in northern California.