The Lady of the Dunes - by Richard Hanchett Terry

Book Synopsis

In a true crime memoir that spans ages and decades, author Richard Hanchett / Terry offers an intimate look at his life, recounting how he followed his heart and dreams and found that the answers he sought weren't the ones he expected.

In the 1950s, a young unwed woman was about to give birth to a son. Alone, away from home, and in the city with no support. Fate supplied an option: a married couple unable to have children.

That woman was Ruth Marie Terry, an unidentified murder victim for decades. Her voice was silenced by the heartless Cape Cod Killer, her son; the author speaks for her in this book.

Drawing on his biological mother's life and struggles as the foundation of this tale, Richard crafts a thrilling narrative about his own life and struggles and the truths that set him free as he begins investigating his past.

"It is through her eyes, her story, that I have found the strength to share mine. This is a journey of discovering who I am, where I come from, and how even the most brutal truths can lead you to a place of healing and understanding," asserted Richard.

Readers will meet Ruth, Richard and his adoptive parents Dick and Thelma-offering a profoundly human perspective on adoption, trauma, and the long shadows caused by violence. Each chapter is built from memory and emotion, with reflections from his perspective now, creating a complete picture of how life, choices, and destiny affected a group of people in the 1950s. The Lady of the Dunes: My Mother is a must-read, a powerful true crime story. That unearths a shocking legacy of loss, identity, and healing.