Linda and Patrick Boyle are the parents of hostage Joshua Boyle. That’s how they identify these days. And that is what has become of their lives, moving in circles they never imagined: meeting diplomats, former spies and soldiers, academics, consultants, others who inhabit war zones with undefined roles, cops, journalists and negotiators; struggling to comprehend the geopolitical landscape, mind-numbing bureaucracy and government-speak; learning about the group that has held hostage their son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons for five years. Five years. That’s the milestone they mark next week with the anniversary of the day Boyle, 34, and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, 31, were kidnapped after foolishly crossing into Afghanistan on a backpacking trip. The couple’s sons, 2 and 4, were both born in captivity. According to letters home, they hid the second pregnancy and Boyle, with a flashlight clenched between his teeth delivered his son, surprising their captors.A “proof-of-life” video last December showed the Boyle’s grandchildren for the first time. The blond boys squirmed on their father’s lap, the oldest picking his nose and giggling at someone or something off camera, as their sombre-faced dad pleaded for release.There are many people trying to help free the young family — a story that cannot be fully told until their release, for fear of jeopardizing negotiations.Since 2012, the kidnappers have released eight videos and a handful of letters. For Boyle’s parents, the videos elicit a range of emotions: relief, worry, optimism, despair. Every tilt of head, lilt of voice, every word is studied for clues about the couples’ mental or physical state. The family is never sure what they write reaches the couple. But earlier this year it was clear one did, with the help of intermediaries. The Boyles have shared with the Toronto Star a video, sent privately in January, a reply to letters that the Boyle ...
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