Postcards from Cookie

A Memoir of Motherhood, Miracles, and a Whole Lot of Mail

De: Caroline Clarke

Narrado por: Caroline Clarke

Award-winning journalist and host of Black Enterprise Business Report Caroline Clarke’s moving memoir of her surprise discovery of her birth mother - 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, secret, and sealed. While she wondered about her biological parents, she kept her curiosity in check, until a series of small health problems raised concerns about her genetic heritage and its consequences for her two children’s lives as well as her own.

Though Spence-Chapin Family Service, the agency that handled her adoption, could not reveal the name of her birth mother, it was able to provide details that lead to a shocking truth. Caroline’s birth mother and her family were related to a friend. The woman who gave her life was none other than 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 email, phone calls, and postcards. 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, sharing secrets, taking risks, and 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.

©2014 Caroline Clarke (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

A peek into a long kept secret

I’m glad she shared her story. It was an interesting one. Some parts dragged but I stayed with it until the end.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Story so vivid and captivating. The story transports you in the journey; time and place. You can see yourself a fly on the wall as everything transpires.

I didn’t want to stop the audio, I didn’t want it to end. Sigh, what a story and narration.

Thanks Caroline for sharing your life with us. Just wonderful!

Excellent read!

loved the author reading this book. she drew me into the story quickly. I highly recommend.

Beautiful!

Absolutely beautiful! Caroline’s narration of her own story makes this even more powerful. Going through this journey with her you can feel each decision and emotion from both her and Cookie. Highly recommend.

Touching

Touching, enjoyable, emotional and one of the best readings I’ve ever heard. It was perfect that it was read by Carol. It was like sitting down with her and having her tell her story directly to me with all the personal emotions that would come naturally if someone was speaking directly to me.