Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Sharpiro – 252 pages
Book Blurb:
In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire history—the life she had lived—crumbled beneath her. Inheritance is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. It is the story of a woman’s urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. It is a book about the extraordinary moment we live in—a moment in which science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover.
My Review: 4 stars
Inheritance went to the top of my TBR list the minute I heard it was coming out. I’ve read three of Dani Shapiro’s fictional books, but neither of her two other memoirs. Crazy that she can have three memoirs about her life and have so much share about her journey. Even crazier that the public can’t get enough of it. It’s a testament to her writing; the words languid and meaningful.
I read this book months after I sent in my own DNA for analysis. My kids got me a DNA kit for my birthday and I was excited about the process. This is certainly something I would never have bought for myself. Unlike the author, I was bored silly with my results, 99.9% Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Having just done this, I can’t imagine how I would’ve reacted with a “surprise” result. Understandably, I was really excited to start the book.
Shapiro was definitely shaken up and overwhelmed with her shocking DNA information. Clearly, there is so much to consider after her world was majorly rocked. First, she delves into her childhood so that the reader is aware of her formative relationships with family and friends. She then goes on to ponder the philosophical questions about what makes you, you. She’s angry about all the years she was lied to. She’s got to make room, or not, in her heart for her biological father. There were so many emotional branches for her to deal with.
For book clubs, just the few queries mentioned above will open up a hearty dialogue. Every person will know a story of a friend, a friend of a friend and so on, that was affected by DNA testing. Another bite to chew on during discussion is that Dani was well loved and taken care of, with a father that adored her; so why does her ancestry matter so much? I also found the information about the fast-growing research in the science of DNA testing to be fascinating, as are the legal ramifications surrounding it.
Quotes I liked:
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