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The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir

Authors: Cylin and John Busby
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (August 2008)
Reading Level: YA/ 352 pages

Imagine as a nine-year old, going through everyday with a police officer following you (everywhere!), living inside a fortified house, and a dog trained to kill living in your yard. This is the true story of the Busby family. This was one Cybils Finalist I was really looking forward to reading. When I tracked it down at another library, I powered through it in two days! I couldn't put it down. I had never heard of this story, but found myself so intrigued by the strength and resilience of this family that was forced to endure so much.

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the Muppets, and her pet box turtle. Then, in the space of a night, everything changed. Her police officer father, John, was driving to work when someone leveled a shotgun at his window. The blasts that followed left John’s jaw on the passenger seat of his car—literally. Busby is taken to Massachusetts General, where he spends the next few months unable to talk or to eat. Overnight, the Busbys went from being the "family next door" to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts to school, and no contact with friends.

Worse, the shooter was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he’d come after John—or someone else in the family—again. The shooter has close ties to the police department and the investigation turns out to be very careless.No one is arrested, and the family spends the next year pretty much under house arrest with round-the-clock police guards, a sniper on their roof, and a police dog chained up in their backyard. With their lives unraveling around them, and few choices remaining for a future that could ever be secure, the Busby family left everything and everyone they had ever known…and simply disappeared.

The format of the book makes it a fascinating read. The chapters alternate between John's recollections and those of his daughter, Cylin, who was nine years old at the time of the events. This way, the reader sees the events through the eyes of an adult and through the eyes of a nine-year old. We often never hear how a child is affected by such a tragedy, so to hear Cylin's perspective is truly unique.

Some young readers might not be able to take the graphic detail in this book, but those interested in crime stories will find that it lingers with you and gives you a new appreciation for police families.

Be sure to tune in February 14th at 10 p.m. to watch the Busby family story on CBS's Live to Tell series from the producers of 48 Hours. I know I'll be watching!
For more info, visit CBS News.

Read another great review...
Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner