The author of this book was allegedly born in southeastern Kentucky on October 13, 1935; the alleged fourth child of eleven siblings of Courtney Ray Gabbard and Ida Mae Campbell Gabbard.

     She was christened with the name Anne Morrow Gabbard, (Morrow is a surname), by her paternal grandfather, Morrow Gabbard.  She was known by Anne Morrow until about age 25.

     At the age of ten, while living with the Gabbard family in Michigan, a relative told Anne Morrow in confidence that she had a "sister". Anne asked her "where is my sister?" And she answered that her sister was living in Kentucky. When she probed more into the circumstances, she walked away from her. Knowing that the relative had "spoken out of turn", Anne didn't pursue it or ever speak of it again to anyone. She seemed frightened, and Anne didn't want to cause her any harm. Her oldest sister, Elizabeth Francis, told her a "secret" once when they were making mud pies as children. She said that she had gotten up early one morning and saw them bring Anne to the house in a little white box. She was told never to say anything about it, so it had to be a "secret".

     In June of 1962, in order to obtain a passport, Anne requested a copy of her birth-certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Kentucky.  She received a "small black photo-static copy of a birth certificate", with the name recorded as Anna M. Gabbard.  Her mother explained that it was recorded in error and should have been recorded as Anne Morrow Gabbard.

     Later, Anne Morrow was re-baptized in the Catholic Church, and they used the birth-certificate as it had been recorded, Anna M.  The priest gave Anne the middle name of Maria.  She married Francis Xavier Parrino of Dallas Texas and became known as Anna Maria Parrino.

     In 1989 after discovery of the fact she had been excluded from the last will and testament of Ida Mae Campbell Gabbard, her mother.  A codicil had been added to the will and trust and witnessed by nine people calling by name Anne Morrow Gabbard Parrino to be excluded from the will.  This had been kept secret from her since March of 1986.

     At this time Anne felt an inner urge to check further into this mystery.  She requested another birth certificate.  She realized that the copy had been tampered with.  During the editing of this book she has made three trips to Frankfort, Kentucky, to question the validity of this document. 

     On one occasion she conferred with the Kentucky State Police, including forensic and intelligence departments.  After viewing the copy of the birth-certificate, they all wanted to be INVOLVED IN THIS ONE.  She was told that she had every reason to question the validity of the document just from eye contact.  But she needed a court order from a Judge in Breathitt County, Kentucky before they could touch it.  When she obtains the court order from the judge, they and the Attorney Generals Office (Public Documents Division) will undertake State and Federal investigations.  And the burden will be on the State of Kentucky to tell her who she is.  She was advised to retain a good civil law firm because this was going to result in a major law-suit.  She has been cheated out of her true birthright and her rightful inheritance.

     An investigator took a copy of the birth-certificate to a noted prestigious law firm in Frankfort.  They put out queries and within a few days the following comments were forthcoming: 

1. The certificate was made over and possibly belonged to a dead baby, and it was done very sloppily.
2. It was done to give her existence and an identity.
3. People did not like what she was doing, she was treading on hallowed ground.    
4. She was rattling old bones.  They told her old bones are very brittle and break easily, for her to continue her quest for the truth about her origin. 
5. It was very political and controversial, involving a scandal some fifty years ago that had been covered up.
6. That she was "old old blood out of Europe" as quoted by a private investigator working on her case.