Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Foundling
- The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
The Foundling
Buy Now for £13.00
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
The Foundling tells the incredible and inspiring true story of Paul Fronczak, a man who recently discovered via a DNA test that he was not who he thought he was - and set out to solve two 50-year-old mysteries at once. Along the way he upturned the genealogy industry, unearthed his family's deepest secrets, and broke open the second longest cold case in US history, all in a desperate bid to find out who he really is.
In 1964 a woman pretending to be a nurse kidnapped an infant boy named Paul Fronczak from a Chicago hospital.
Two years later police found a boy abandoned outside a variety store in New Jersey. The FBI tracked down Dora Fronczak, the kidnapped infant's mother, and she identified the abandoned boy as her son. The family spent the next 50 years believing they were whole again - but Paul was always unsure about his true identity.
Then, four years ago - spurred on by the birth of his first child, Emma Faith - Paul took a DNA test. The test revealed definitively that he was not Paul Fronczak. From that moment on, Paul has been on a tireless mission to find the man whose life he's been living - and to discover who abandoned him and why.
This is the story of Paul's heart-wrenching and tortuous journey to solve both mysteries and finally learn the truth about his identity.
The Foundling tells the incredible and inspiring true story of Paul Fronczak, a man who recently discovered via a DNA test that he was not who he thought he was - and set out to solve two 50-year-old mysteries at once. Along the way he upturned the genealogy industry, unearthed his family's deepest secrets, and broke open the second longest cold case in US history, all in a desperate bid to find out who he really is.
In 1964 a woman pretending to be a nurse kidnapped an infant boy named Paul Fronczak from a Chicago hospital.
Two years later police found a boy abandoned outside a variety store in New Jersey. The FBI tracked down Dora Fronczak, the kidnapped infant's mother, and she identified the abandoned boy as her son. The family spent the next 50 years believing they were whole again - but Paul was always unsure about his true identity.
Then, four years ago - spurred on by the birth of his first child, Emma Faith - Paul took a DNA test. The test revealed definitively that he was not Paul Fronczak. From that moment on, Paul has been on a tireless mission to find the man whose life he's been living - and to discover who abandoned him and why.
This is the story of Paul's heart-wrenching and tortuous journey to solve both mysteries and finally learn the truth about his identity.
The Foundling is a touching and inspiring story about a child lost and faith found, about the permanence of families and the bloodlines that define you, and about the emotional toll of both losing your identity and rediscovering who you truly are.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Foundling
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- 22-10-21
Wow, Just Wow.
What a sad world we live in, this is inspiring for other foundlings, adopted or Fostered children.
I cried when baby Paul was kidnapped and when Jack was just abandand. I have been doing my family tree since 1989, Its so hard at times, a giant puzzle. I so want to know what happened to Paul and Jill, it's just heartbreaking. I want to know if there is more to come?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Christine trinder
- 07-11-20
A true story
I found this very disappointing, purely because if is so self centred, and introspective, by someone who had a terribly unsettled start in life but went on to completely disregard his present and lost his way in life looking retrospectively even at the age of 52!
He’s never made peace with his past life and it’s still so important him he’s sacrificed his life to it. I’m sorry he was not more interested in the his family of today, and was/is willing to sacrifice them, to his end. A possibility enjoyable life wasted.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo Shap
- 20-07-18
A must read!
This is a. Incredible story which is beautifully written.
Heartfelt and eloquent. Tragic but inspiring.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- MRS. LUCINDA LEWIS
- 16-04-21
Persistence needed
This is a fascinating story but I struggled to finish it as the detail got too intense.
I wanted to find out what happened to him but got bored with his self absorption and kept skipping forward from about chapter 19.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- MarionC
- 11-05-17
a lost family
as a family historian, i realise the difficulties and frustrations of brick walls. the researchers involved did a fabulous job. at times the story was a little long winded but kept me listening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nancy
- 17-05-23
interesting book
interesting read, but agree with other comments it's quite drawn out and lengthy in a lot of places.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- steve
- 21-03-19
Great book
Listen in my car and kept on making excuses to go for s drive like a book you can’t put down- feel I need to know more
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- A
- 04-10-19
Great story
Amazing story but the narrator was terrible. Honestly, he should only be reading children's or fictional stories. It was really not good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- NATALIE
- 09-04-18
touching
A very touching true story. I really hope Paul gets his answers one day. This life story was told exceptionally well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-04-18
Enthralling
I would encourage everyone to listen. Very informative and thought provoking book. much of what I know about the effects of trauma and adoption is here and proof of the damage done.
narrator is very good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!