Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA by Richard Hill

Summary: In the vein of a classic mystery, Hill, an adoptee trying to reclaim the biological family denied him by sealed birth records, gathers the seemingly scant evidence surrounding the circumstances of his birth. As his resolve shores up, the author also avails of new friends, genealogists, the Internet, and the latest DNA tests in the new field of genetic genealogy. As he closes in on the truth of his ancestry, he is able to construct a living, breathing portrait of the young woman who was faced with the decision to forsake her rights to her child, and ultimately the man whose identity had remained hidden for decades.

This book was fantastic!  Hill writes with a simplicity and honesty that allows the reader to experience the highs and lows of this decades long search with him.  I was fascinated by the stories and insight into his biological parents and by the hunt itself which starts way before the internet and DNA samples.  Because there are so many people involved, a visual representation of the relationships would have been helpful; however, I was so interested in the process and outcome that I didn't mind occasionally being confused.  Overall, this book read and felt like a mystery rather than a memoir and is definitely worth picking up.

5/5

260 pages