Join our online book club as we explore The Lost Fifty-Seven: A Genealogical Journey of Discovery, Deception, Secrets and Scandal with the author Ron Williams.
This compelling genealogical memoir follows Williams’ determined quest to uncover the truth about his grandfather’s mysterious early life. When Alfred Victor Williams arrived on the streets of Vancouver in June 1947, he appeared to come from nowhere. Within months, at the age of fifty-seven, he was a homeowner with a new bride and a child on the way. When he died in 1968, he left behind no trace of the first fifty-seven years of his life, only questions.
Drawing on a small cache of documents and photographs, alongside modern genealogical tools and online records, Williams embarks on an extraordinary investigation. His search leads to the discovery of long-lost relatives, international travel, and a story that slowly unfolds to reveal a lost inheritance, a kidnapping, and a hidden identity.
This book club meeting offers the chance to discuss a real-life mystery that blends family history with intrigue and unexpected revelations and to reflect on how the past can remain hidden in plain sight for generations.
Booking this session will add you to our Book Club membership and you will receive an invitation to all future meetings. Book Club is a member only event.
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About the Speaker
Ron Williams
Author of The Lost Fifty-Seven: A Genealogical Journey of Discovery, Deception, Secrets and Scandal. He says,"Genealogical memoirs and ancestral mysteries, my passion is discovering the stories in our people and our places. By no means a professional genealogist or expert in DNA, I am curious about family history. While it’s my own family history that I most often battle, I do tend to lean-in when friend or acquaintance offers tales of their own family lore and I am sincerely interested in hearing your unique story, as untidy and jumbled as it may be! In addition to genealogy and the written word, my passions include cooking for friends and family; enjoying fine ales; exploring late nights, early mornings, and unknown neighborhoods. I’m a beginning writer, modestly published and credited in editing. My degree is English Literature from Simon Fraser University and I proudly teach high school composition in my hometown of Port Coquitlam, BC. Proud husband to Lana, father to Jack, Ben, Tom, and Scott, servant to Daisy and Chester. I’m a product of the ‘70s & ‘80s who always has time to talk music."
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08/06/2026
18:00 - 19:30
Online
Members' Exclusive Book Club on Zoom
Location
Online
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