INHERITANCE

A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love
by Dani Shapiro

October seems to be my month for memoirs.  Without realizing it, I chose to review two memoirs in this edition of L&L.  They are two of the best books I’ve read recently.  Inheritance has been on my radar for a while having appeared on many “must read” lists.  I am so glad that I finally opened it up and read it!

Shapiro shares her incredible story of sending off a sample of her DNA to Ancestry.com on a whim.  What she learns when the findings come back rocks her to her core.  There is no way that her father genetically could have been her biological father.  The book takes us through Shapiro’s painful struggle to make sense of that fact.  Since both of her parents have been dead for a long time, she seeks out and interviews all her relatives who might have any insight into the truth.  Her orthodox Jewish upbringing adds to the complexity and beauty of her search.

Unbelievably, she and her husband make some educated guesses that prove accurate and she is able to track down her biological father – who had been a sperm donor as a medical student.  Shapiro travels across country to meet him and his wife – and eventually becomes friendly with one of her half-sisters.  I found Shapiro’s story truly fascinating.  She writes beautifully and unfolds her story as if it is happening in real time.  She fills each page with such palpable emotion, you won’t be able to put this book down until you finish it. (Liz)