The Year We Disappeared: A Father - Daughter Memoir

By Cylin Busby and John Busby

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with the Muppets and her pet turtle. Then everything changed. Her police officer father, John, was driving to work when someone levelled a shotgun at his window. The blasts that followed left him clinging to life, yet he managed to write down the name of the only person he thought could have pulled the trigger.




John Busby was scheduled to testify in an upcoming trial against the family of a local criminal with rumoured mob connections. It became clear that there was a definite suspect. Overnight, the Busbys went from being an average family to one under 24-hour armed protection, with police escorts to school and no contact with friends. Worse, the gunman was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he would come after John again - or someone else in the family! With few choices left, the Busby family went into hiding, severing all ties to the only life they had ever known.




This hard-hitting, graphic and compelling account of Cylin's family's escape from the mob is ultimately a story of survival and triumph.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781408852521

Cylin Busby

Cylin Busby is the author of three feline-focused books: The White House Cat, illustrated by Neely Daggett, The Bookstore Cat, illustrated by Charles Santoso, and The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs. Her books for teens include the acclaimed memoir The Year We Disappeared and the novels The Stranger Game and Blink Once. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. You can visit her online at www.cylinbusby.com.

Reviews for The Year We Disappeared

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this book, daughter Cylin and father John share the story of what happened to their family in 1979 when John, a police officer, was shot in the head. John wasn't killed, but the bottom of his jaw was shot off and he had a long, painful recovery ahead of him. Worse was the fact that he was certain that the man behind his attempted murder was a local criminal who thought he had the police force in his pocket. John refused to give in to this man's threats and as a result he almost lost his life and his family was put in danger.The really neat thing about this book is that you get two different perspectives. John writes his story - his painful recovery and crippling anger and frustration at an investigation that went much too slowly. Cylin writes her story - constant fear that her dad might die or that someone might be coming to kill her too, social ostracism because police officers followed her wherever she went.I found it totally compelling and didn't want to put it down. Highly recommended for high schoolers and adults.

[jlapac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised that this was classified as a YA book, but after I read it, I realized that it was good that I read the YA version. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, and it turned out to be not at all what I expected. I am glad this was a YA book, because a memoir with this content for adults could have been extremely, and unnecessarily violent.

After starting to read, I realized that it might be a little violent and not my cup of tea. I read past the most difficult part and I have to say that the authors handle the physical parts very well. They don't idolize violence and settle, quite well, into a realistic telling of real people dealing with an unbelievable tragedy. I found that I really got a sense of the fear that developed as the situation unfolded as well as the coping skills the family developed to deal with the fear.

The back and forth of father and daughter is well done and not gimmicky at all. I also think the feelings the authors describe seem quite real. It seems authentic the way the dad thinks about keeping his family safe while the daughter is trying to puzzle out what is going on in her family. I think the reasoning she does, based on the information she gets from her mother and other family, shows how children try and create answers in stressful situations even if they don't have all the information.

I was glad the authors selected a short time period and included an epilogue rather than trying to write about the rest of their lives. I would have liked a little bit longer epilogue in order to know things like did Cylin and Amelia stay in touch?

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1979, Cylin was 9-years old. Her father, John, was police officer in a town in Massachusetts. He was shot in the face and survived, but – even though he was certain who was behind it – the police seemed to not be pursuing it. John believed the person behind the shooting was a local well-known criminal, Raymond Meyer, who also had connections at the police department and was known to be untouchable. Even so, some of the officers, including John, still tried to bring Ray to justice for various crimes. I thought this was very good. Frustrating about the corruption in the police department and not being able to do anything about Ray for so many different offenses. The viewpoint went back and forth between Cylin and John, so you could read about the happenings from each person's perspective.

[lynnsigman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting - liked format with alternating chapters from father and daughter. Missed out on more detail at ending and maybe some pictures. Maybe for older teens.

[e5j · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is co - written by a father and daughter. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the daughter told the whole thing. It was just OK, the beginning was good, but it went stagnant for a while and sort of ended without actually having an "ending".

[julieah_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

August 31, 1979, was a nightmare for the Busby family. John Busby, a police officer, was shot at a very close range on his way to work. He had been targeted by an arsonist who wanted revenge on John. The Year We Disappeared is an emotional memoir wrote by John and his daughter Cylin, who was nine at the time of the shooting. The two talk about the year that followed the horrible tragedy- the police protection, body guards, social isolation by her friends at school, constant fear and pain, and even their family going into hiding. The alternating chapters and flashback memories discuss John’s reconstructive surgeries and the corruption at his police department. This story is a page turner to say the least and is a much more emotional read because it is written by the people who suffered. Although not appropriate for younger grades, this book is a perfect edition for a high school classroom or library.

[dara85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Corruption in the police department leads to the attempted murder of John Busby. The family then lives in fear under armed guards, until they decide this is no way to live. Great book!

[Alison Jane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So beautifully and honestly written A story I will always remember.