The Name on the Envelope

by Michael M. Dowd

Everyone has a story and for Michael M. Dowd his story is one of discovery—about who he is, how his life began, and the many twists and turns that led him to a family he never knew he had. Like most people, he experienced his share of happiness, sadness, pain, and suffering. But unlike most people, part of Michael’s life remained a mystery. It wasn’t until he embarked on a journey to learn more about his birth mother that Michael began to realize that he spent most of life unaware that he had another family.

The Name on the Envelope is about Michael’s journey to learn more about his family, but it is also about his reflections on his life and how our experiences shape who we are and who we become.

274 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2019

About the author

About the Author
Michael M. Dowd was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana. He spent much of his career working in broadcast radio and broadcast and cable television. Michael enjoys traveling and is an accomplished scuba diver. He is a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Reviews

[Bill MacAulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Michael was a man on a mission, in his search to find his birth mother. When I think of all the pieces that had to fit, like a giant puzzle, in order for him to achieve his dream, I couldn't help wondering if I would've been able to persevere, had I been on a similar quest. I think this book should be on everyone's bucket list. It's that good.

[Timothy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are genealogist you are not going to be able to put this book down. Mike lays out a story of discovery of who he is and how he came to discover where he came from in a rapid fire pace. The book chases fleeting scraps of information from his birth in Las Vegas through Chicagoland, Disney World and into Central Pennsylvania before he finally finds all of the answers in his puzzle.

Full disclosure: The author is a friend and former radio colleague and I do appear on a page or two or three. I am gratified that Mike stuck with it, found his answers, and wrote this book.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michaels' life is quite a journey, and he's written a good story. Plenty of twists and brick walls in his search for his birth mother, but he finally found her and he even got to meet her. It has hard for me to get through the book; so much redundancy made me want to just give up.