How did you find me...after all these years?: A Family Memoir

by Dennis Vinar, Karen Vinar, Jean and Andrew Voxland

Are you ready to laugh, cry, search your own heart, think about your own dreams and read about changed lives? These heart-felt words are a culmination of emotions that can happen when love is the essence of the story. "What is the secret to happiness?" we ask ourselves when we have reached a mid-point in our lives. This story searches the heart and seeks to answer the question. For two teenagers, Dennis and Karen, they remember high school when happiness was shared by dancing to the Top 40 at high school dances or enjoying a hamburger and soda with friends. How Did You Find Me...After All These Years? is the first book from the four authors. It offers the reader an in-depth look at life's circumstances from different points of view. It's an engaging story about young love and how life can change in a heartbeat. From the very beginning of a teenager's stirrings of tender emotions through all the normal trials and tribulations of life, this story moves forward through decades where the path of life took twists, turns and heart-wrenching decisions. Readers will enjoy the ebb and flow of the poignant moments that make up the intimacy of sharing their story and their surprises. In the autumn of 2014, Dennis was at a party that became a turning point for the four authors. The question "If your physician gave you 60 days to live, who would be one person with whom you would like to talk or have dinner?" was asked to everyone in attendance at the party. Dennis' answer was a surprise, even to himself. Among the party-goers, there were many people named such as movie stars and famous political figures. He thought about his answer the next day and made a decision. What happened when he put his answer into the search bar of a social media site will forever change his path in life. There are emotional complexities to this story which include loss, fear and hope. Join us on this journey through time and the heart. Feel the love as you travel through this extraordinary experience.

Genres: Nonfiction

282 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

Dennis Vinar, an inventor and manufacturer's representative for over 40 years, lives in Northfield, MN with his wife Karen, enjoys art, music, nature, reading, travelling, bicycling, and golf. Karen Vinar, an interior designer for over 40 years, lives in Northfield, MN with her husband, Dennis, and enjoys gardening, cooking, and all of her husband's interests except golf. Jean Voxland lives in Kenyon, MN with her husband Andrew and a big white Great Pyrenees dog named Daisy. Andrew Voxland resides in Kenyon, MN with his wife, Jean, has found it enjoyable to have written a part of the memoir from his perspective, takes guilty pleasure in grilling ribeyes, and listening to good music. The four authors joined together to write this memoir that tugs at the heartstrings. It is truly a labor of love written from their hearts. To know more about the authors, visit the book's website http://www.howdidyoufindme.com

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! I could related to most of it!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and local! Really liked it and a quick read

[Denise Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

PB- a real life tear jerker with happy endings

[Beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the beautiful results of reconnecting with one's birth parents as depicted in this story, my own very similar story did not end in Thanksgiving and gladness. I am though very happy for these people. This is the way all of these stories should end. Only God can restore what was once lost, alone and broken.

[Bonita Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful true fact about forever love and adoption

Easy read and a happy book. True love prevails. They were so young all those years passed and their love stood the test of time
L

[Sandra Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true story!

I really enjoyed the real story of this family reunion. I never meet my father and I am sure he is now dead. He never looked for me, nor did I. Now I wish that I had sought him out.

[Betsy Berman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nice life story Terrible writing

Seriously they needed a ghost writer. The quality of writing was worthy of a junior high schooler I am very happy for these people having found happiness but terrible writing

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

Could not put this book down, what a beautiful story but I thought for sure a partridge family bus would of drove them all off into the sunset, just joking. A definite read!

[Cheryl A. Breidigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story

Very interesting and amazing story of love faith, and perseverance. Would have given a 5 star but sometime the pages were written in a different style.

[BEVERLY MUNSELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family miracle

A true story of young love with difficult and painful consequences. But if we put our trust in God’s wisdom miracles do happen.

[Shari Besser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the plot line of this story. The writing seemed stilted and jerky at times but I still enjoyed it.

[Jacqueline W Grable · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sweet story, but very poorly written. Lots of unnecessary detail that did not improve the story, and for that matter, not all that interesting.

[Abigail Reiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Adoption Book

What a wonderful story . Told from many different viewpoints . It is one of the best stories written . Very uplifting.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It came across as very sincere and from the heart.

[Lauren Daugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic story! It gave me all the feels knowing it was someone's life, and I love how it turned out for them!

[Sheila P Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallmark Worthy

I could not stop reading. This has Hallmark love story written all over it!

I pray Hod's continued blessings on this family!

[Brenda Bergman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just finished How did you find me…after all these years? This is a family memoir by Dennis & Karen Vinar and Jean & Andrew Voxland. This is a super quick read. In all honesty, the writing is not great. I actually had students back in my teaching days that could write better, and I’m not going to recommend that you read it. The reason I bought it was because the Vinar’s were our neighbors when we moved to Northfield. They owned the Petaluna store in town, and their story is similar to mine & Bergie’s. Dennis and Karen were junior high and high school sweethearts. When Dennis was 17 and Karen was only 15, they got pregnant. They wanted to marry, but Karen’s parents wouldn’t allow it. Karen was sent to a home for pregnant girls in Minneapolis. She gave birth to a baby girl that they gave up to adoption. Through the next 50+ years, they would reconnect, finish college, join the military, move, marry other people, raise families, suffer divorce a d the death of a spouse. In January of 2015, 55 years after they had first met, they finally married. Soon they began to search for the daughter they had given up. The memoir is a collaboration by Dennis, Karen, Jean (the daughter they put up for adoption), & Jean’s husband Andrew. It is their love story. Dennis & Karen moved this past month to South Carolina. Jean & her husband live in Kenyon. Bergie & I met our Freshman & Juniors years at FHS. We were 15 & 17. We dated on and off from 1978-1985. We were engaged and planning a wedding. I called it off and we went our separate ways. We both married other people. I got divorced after 20 years of marriage. Bergie didn’t marry until much later and divorced after 10 years. We ran into each other for the first time at a mutual friend’s retirement party. We got married in 2017, exactly 38 years to the day from when we went to his Senior Prom.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine my surprise when I learned that the pleasant older couple who run a charming gift shop in my new hometown hadn't been together for numerous decades; they seem to be a matched set, complementing each other's skills and personalities, and perfectly comfortable with each other. Maybe that's because they did indeed "find" each other at very young ages--13 and 15!--only to have life's circumstances keep them apart--a kind of modern Romeo and Juliet, minus the suicides but plus an unexpected pregnancy. It's been just since 2015 that Dennis and Karen Vinar, now both in their mid-70s, have been married. The pair largely lived separate lives, created separate families over the intervening decades, and yet never stopped thinking about one another. The daughter they parented as young teens but subsequently placed for adoption has also become part of their full-circle story. Today, you can find this cute couple in their downtown Northfield shop, peddling quality Scandinavian wares and other items of interest. For a homespun love story with many poignant moments and a healthy dose of hard truths, pick up "How Did You Find Me...After all These Years?"

[Denny Vinar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a very interesting book. It is a love story of a 13 year girl and a 15 year old boy in a small Minnesota town in the late 1950s. They spend their days at school together, and he would walk her home every day. Karen always had her clarinet which he carried. They fell in love but there happiness was short-lived until they found each other again 55 years later.

Bookie G

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read. Sad in certain parts but has heart-warming and happy elements. As an old-fashioned at heart who is interested in what life was like in the 1950s and 1960s, I enjoyed having a glimpse and found it interesting.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

A real heart-warmer, yet not overly sentimental, and lots of heartbreak along the way. Adoption stories are all unique, and very interesting. The reconnections in this story are rather remarkable. Definitely worth a listen.

I listened to the Audible audiobook.

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was interesting, but dang, the writing was.... not great. I wish people writing their memoirs would get help from professional writers.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this book down! I highly recommend this book.

[Lyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only all adoption stories had such happy endings. This truly is a love story told from different perspectives. We seldom read about adoption in this way. Thank you for sharing your stories.