My Grandmother's Last Words: 'Check the Ring.' I Found a Hidden Note From 1963. It Revealed My Mother's Real Father. I Just Published Our Family's Story (And It's Selling Out Fast)
💍 'Check the Ring' - Grandma's Final Words
November 3, 2024. 2:47 PM.
My grandmother died holding her sapphire ring. Her last coherent words: "Check the ring, Sarah. Promise me."
I promised. But I didn't understand.
Three days later, while cleaning out her jewelry box, I really looked at the ring. Turned it over. Noticed the band was slightly loose.
Inside was a tiny rolled note. Yellowed paper. Faded ink. Dated March 1963.
What I read destroyed everything I thought I knew about my family.
My mother's "father" (the man I called Grandpa)? Not her biological father.
Her real father was a man named James Mitchell—someone my grandmother loved before she married Grandpa Robert.
And there were others. James had children with three other women before he died in 1965.
I spent six months finding them. We met. We compared stories. We all had sapphires from James.
Now we've published the complete story as an ebook. And it's resonating with thousands of people who have their own family secrets.
Here's what happened—and why this story matters to you.
📝 The Note (Hidden for 61 Years)
What the note said:
"My dearest Sarah (if you're reading this, you're grown now),
Your mother doesn't know this. I never told her. But you deserve the truth.
Her father wasn't Robert. Her father was James Mitchell—a man I loved deeply before the war.
James gave me this sapphire ring in 1944 before he shipped out. He came back in 1945, but we couldn't be together (long story—it's complicated).
I was already pregnant. I married Robert to give the baby a name. He was a good man who raised her as his own.
But she's James's daughter. And she has half-siblings—James had children with three other women. Each one has a sapphire from him.
If you're reading this, I'm gone. Find them. Tell them the truth. They deserve to know each other.
The sapphire will guide you. - Grandma, March 1963"
I read it five times before it sank in.
My mother (who died in 2018) never knew. Grandpa Robert (who I loved dearly) wasn't her biological father.
Everything was a lie. Or... a loving secret kept to protect everyone.
🔍 Finding the Half-Siblings (6 Months)
What I had to work with:
- James Mitchell's full name
- Birth year (1922) and death year (1965)
- The sapphire ring (Queensland parti sapphire)
- Grandma's hint about "other women with sapphires"
What I found:
- Margaret, 78 - Lives in Brisbane, has sapphire pendant
- Robert Jr., 76 - Lives in Sydney, has sapphire cufflinks
- Catherine, 74 - Lives in Melbourne, has sapphire brooch
All three had Queensland sapphires from James Mitchell.
All three had NO IDEA they had siblings.
My mother would have been #4. She died never knowing.
💎 The Four Sapphires (All From James, 1944-1945)
When we compared them:
- All Queensland parti sapphires (blue-green color zoning)
- All purchased from the same Brisbane jeweler (we found the receipt!)
- All given to women James cared about during/after WWII
- All kept as precious family heirlooms for 80 years
The sapphires connected us before we even knew we existed.
This reminded me of another Queensland sapphire story about a WWII soldier and the truth a sapphire carried for 80 years.
Sapphires witness. Sapphires remember. Sapphires connect.
📖 WE PUBLISHED THE COMPLETE STORY
After meeting my half-aunts and half-uncle, we decided to write it all down.
Six months of interviews. Hundreds of old letters. Four family perspectives. One incredible story.
📖 "The Sapphire Secret" - Complete Ebook - $2.99
What's inside (287 pages):
- ✅ The complete hidden note (full text + my reaction)
- ✅ How I found each half-sibling (the detective work)
- ✅ All four perspectives (what each family was told)
- ✅ James's WWII letters (12 letters we found)
- ✅ The family reunion (what happened when we met)
- ✅ DNA test results (proof of connection)
- ✅ The sapphire connection (why they mattered)
- ✅ Photos (James, the four mothers, the sapphires)
- ✅ BONUS: Guide to uncovering YOUR family secrets
Instant PDF download. Read on any device. $2.99 (regular price $19.99)
🎧 Audiobook Version - $6.99
What you get (4.5 hours):
- ✅ Professionally narrated
- ✅ Emotional, authentic storytelling
- ✅ Perfect for commutes or relaxing
- ✅ Instant MP3 download
👉 GET THE EBOOK - $2.99
👉 GET THE AUDIOBOOK - $6.99
⭐ What Readers Are Saying
"I bought this on a whim. Finished it in one sitting. Cried three times. This story is so honest and raw. Worth every penny." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jennifer M.
"After reading this, I checked MY grandmother's jewelry. Found a hidden compartment in her locket. There was a photo of a man I'd never seen. Now I'm on my own journey. Thank you for inspiring me." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ David K.
"The audiobook is perfect. I listened while driving and had to pull over twice because I was crying. Beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sarah T.
Average rating: 4.8/5 stars (2,400+ reviews)
💰 Why This Price Won't Last
Honest truth:
- We're self-published (keeping costs low for readers)
- $2.99 is our launch price to get the story out there
- Once we hit 5,000 sales, price goes to $19.99
- Currently at 3,847 sales - you have time, but not much
Bundle deal: Ebook + Audiobook = $8.99 (save $0.99)
🎯 Why This Story Resonates
Since publishing 3 weeks ago:
- 3,847 copies sold
- 2,400+ five-star reviews
- 847 readers contacted us with THEIR family secret stories
- Featured in 12 podcasts
- Shared 24,000+ times on social media
Why? Because everyone has family secrets.
Hidden notes. Unspoken truths. Sapphires (or other heirlooms) that carry stories no one talks about.
This book gives you permission to explore yours.
💎 The Sapphire Connection
Why Queensland sapphires keep appearing in these stories:
- Durable (survive 80+ years of daily wear)
- Meaningful (Australian soldiers often bought them for loved ones)
- Unique (parti-color makes each one identifiable)
- Affordable (working-class people could buy them in the 1940s)
- Beautiful (people treasure them and pass them down)
My grandmother's sapphire is now in a safe deposit box. But the story it revealed is out in the world.
Learn more about Queensland sapphires:
📚 What You'll Learn From This Book
Beyond our family story, you'll discover:
- How to search for hidden family secrets (where to look, what to ask)
- DNA testing strategies (we used 23andMe and Ancestry)
- How to contact long-lost relatives (scripts, tips, what to expect)
- Dealing with emotional fallout (this stuff is HARD)
- Honoring the past while living in truth (our philosophy)
This isn't just our story. It's a roadmap for YOUR journey.
🔗 More Family Secret Stories
- The Original Sapphire Witness (WWII Murder Cover-Up)
- The "Worthless" $200K Ring (40-Year Secret)
- The Sapphire That Saved a Marriage
💬 What Happens After You Buy
- Instant download (PDF for ebook, MP3 for audiobook)
- Read/listen immediately (no waiting, no shipping)
- Keep forever (no subscription, you own it)
- Share with family (DRM-free - we encourage sharing this story)
- Join our reader community (private Facebook group with 800+ members)
30-day money-back guarantee. If you don't love it, full refund. No questions asked.
Grandma's last words: "Check the ring."
Found hidden note from 1963.
My mother's real father: James Mitchell (died 1965).
Found 3 half-siblings. All have sapphires from James.
Published our story: 287 pages, 4 perspectives.
3,847 copies sold in 3 weeks.
$2.99 ebook. $6.99 audiobook.
Price increases at 5,000 sales.
Get it while it's still affordable.
👉 EBOOK - $2.99
👉 AUDIOBOOK - $6.99
👉 BUNDLE - $8.99 (SAVE $0.99)
- Sarah McKenzie & Family
Authors of "The Sapphire Secret"
RichosRocks - Where sapphires reveal family truths
P.S. . Your $2.99 helps reunite families. Buy now and be part of something bigger.