The long road home

VALLEY The endless number of coincidences are nearly unbelievable but after more than 50 years two books from Edward Gilroys childhood have found their way back to their rightful owner.

Growing up in Rodney, Cumberland County, Gilroy suspects he likely loaned them to a friend and is amazed their paths crossed again. Edwards wife Shirley discovered the first book, Secret Flight, while sorting through donated books for the Canadian Federation of University Womens annual book sale last June.

I couldnt believe it. I have no idea how it got from there to here, Edward said yesterday. Thats too hard to imagine.

The book was presented to him by his teacher, Sara Fletcher, for the most stars in grades 6 and 7 in 1949.

So what were the stars for?

Probably attendance and making sure your work was done on time and being a good boy, I guess, Edward said.

He discovered the second book, Black Beauty, while preparing to remove the hard cover from badly damaged books so the paper could be recycled. The book was a present Edward received on his 11th birthday from his grandmother.

The couple suspects the books came from a donation by the Book Nook.

Shirley said the coincidences really surprise her. Edward was a engineer with Bell Canada and the couple moved around to communities in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia before retiring to Truro in 1997.

She decided to join the federation in 2003 and sort some of the books in her home in preparation for the sale. Most days there are three or four other women sorting the books who may not have even noticed the inscription.

She is even stumped on what made her look inside that day.

They were in pretty bad shape, Edward said.

The discovery raises another question.

Who knows what other treasurers we have there, Shirley said.