Award-winning journalist and host of Black Enterprise Business
Report Caroline Clarke's moving memoir of her surprise discovery of her
birthmother--Cookie Cole, the daughter of Nat King Cole--and the
relationship that blossomed between them through the heartfelt messages
they exchanged on hundreds of postcards.
Caroline Clarke was born in an era when adoptions were shameful and
sealed. She kept her curiosity about her biological parents in check,
until a series of small health problems raised concerns about her
genetic heritage and its consequences for her two children's lives and
her own.
Though the agency that handled her adoption could not reveal the name of
her birth mother, it provided details that lead to a shocking truth.
Caroline's birth mother and her family were related to a friend: Carole
"Cookie" Cole, the daughter of iconic crooner and pianist Nat King Cole.
Drawing on details provided by the agency and her own investigative
skills, Caroline embarked on a life-changing journey of discovery that
stretched from coast to coast, forged through e-mail, phone calls, and
post cards. The constancy, volume, and intimacy of her steady
correspondence with Cookie filled the days and distance between them.
Through brief yet poignant messages squeezed onto three-inch open-faced
squares, mother and daughter revealed themselves, ultimately building a
bond like no other.
A heartfelt, inspiring tribute to both Caroline's adoptive parents and
her biological mother, Postcards from Cookie illuminates the enduring
power of love to shape and guide our lives.
