Just over a century ago, an Oregon woman’s book created an enduring mystery

Just over a century ago, an Oregon woman’s book created an enduring mystery

On August 8, 1920, The Atlantic Monthly published “The Story of Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart.” Said to be the diary of a child prodigy, it quickly became a bestseller. However, it also hinted that author Opal Whiteley was the kidnapped daughter of a French prince. Within months, critics were calling the book a fraud.A child prodigy in the Northwest logging campsOpal Whiteley grew up in the logging camps of Washington and Oregon at…