New Video Interview from CBS This Morning

My Review:

Do you really know the story of your life?  Author Dani Shapiro thought she did; the daughter of a Jewish mother and an Orthodox Jewish father, Dani grew up surrounded by, and enmeshed in Judaism, Hebrew, traditions and rituals.  She had a deep love and admiration for her ancestors who came before her and she drew strength from just knowing about them.  In Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love, Dani shares with us her shocking personal discovery and the emotional rollercoaster that ensued as she searches for answers to family secrets and struggles to come to terms with who she really is.

In her early 50s, after her parents had passed away, on a whim, Dani did something so many people are doing these days – she sent in her DNA to be analyzed.  She was blindsided by the shocking results and then began a search for unknown relatives to ultimately discover herself.  Shaken to the core with endless questions, Dani was immersed in uncertainty of her identity, where she came from, and who she really is.  Was everything she thought about all her so called blood relatives who came before her a lie?  Who is her family…her son’s family…who does she belong to?

Finding long lost relatives can be a source of great happiness and fulfillment, and equally brings up so many questions and so much pain.  It is a complex concurrence of emotions and if you are going to take the chance and send in your DNA for testing, emotional preparedness for the onslaught is a good idea.

While reading this incredible memoir I was swept away on the emotional journey with Dani Shapiro as she masterfully tells her unique story.  Don’t miss it!

A quick search on the internet brings up many news articles and videos on the topic – here is one… VIDEO.

Goodreads Summary

About the Author:

Dani Shapiro is the bestselling author of the memoirs Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History. She lives with her family in LItchfield County, Connecticut. Her latest memoir, Inheritance, was published by Knopf in January, 2019.