“Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love” by Dani Shapiro

Not so long ago, a woman in the Midwest wrote a letter to my mother, and said she had seen a picture of me in a Christmas card and believed she knew my birth mother. My heart started to race, while my mother thought this was hilarious. I guess she found humor in it because she not only remembered raising me during my tumultuous teenage years, but she also recalled quite clearly giving birth to me in December of 1963. The Midwestern woman was clearly mistaken. But I was rattled at just the thought of Barbara and Garry not being my real parents because it called into question my identity, my personality and my genetics. This is the territory of Dani Shapiro’s latest memoir “Inheritance.” Almost on a whim, Shapiro (a well-known fiction and non-fiction author) sends her DNA into one of the now in-vogue genealogical testing websites. She soon finds out that she is genetically incompatible with her stepsister, and thus the father she thought was hers, is not. This sends Shapiro on a wild odyssey to find out who her biological father is, and whether he is still alive. I don’t want to give too much away about this book, but I would highly recommend it. For memoir fans like me, this story proved to be something extra special. Shapiro writes beautifully about her search for the truth, while sharing her fears, worries and disappointments along the way. One moment stands out, when a sister she didn’t know existed acknowledges her presence, and it just made me want to jump up and cheer. The minute I was done with this book I gave it immediately to my friend Noelle because these are exactly the stories we love to trade. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.