Jack El-Hai's non-fiction book, The Lost Brothers, tells the harrowing story of three little boys, ages 8, 6 and 4, who went to the park a few blocks from their Minneapolis home 68 years ago and were never seen again.
It's the story of the investigation: its abrupt end after five days, its resurrection 20 years ago and its ambiguous status even today. It's a story of how much the world has changed - for good and bad - since 1951. And it's the story of how a family was broken and yet found a fragile equilibrium in the face of tragedy. "There's no such thing as closure, I don't think," admits Jack El-Hai. "but I'd like the family to have certainty.
Jack El-Hai holds out hope that somehow, a memory, a snippet of overheard conversation, some piece of information will emerge to provide that certainty to the family. He encourages people who might have something to contribute to contact him on Facebook or Twitter, or to email him directly.