Inheritance by Dani Shapiro
Reviewed by: Genna Buhr, Library Director
Genre: Memoir
Suggested Age: Adults
What is this book about? A woman who has always had a strong outward defense of her identity but hasn’t always felt at ease with her place in her world suddenly discovers that there might be more to her than she thought she was. Following an impromptu over-the-internet DNA ancestry test, Dani Shapiro learned that her father was not, in fact, her biological father. What follows is her journey to determine who and why that might be and what that might mean in her life.
My Review: An admittedly slow reader, I managed to work through this book in just two days, as I found her story to be intriguing, equally thoughtful and emotional, and beautifully told. In just about 270 pages, she envelops us in her past and her now and makes us wonder what we might do if the solid ground on which we’ve built ourselves suddenly shifted. What of our identity is based in biology, what of us is based on our upbringing, and what if that line isn’t as clear as we’d like to think?
Three words that describe this book: thought-provoking, engaging, well-paced
Give this a try if you like…Finding Your Roots (PBS show), emotional mysteries, combing your family photo albums
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
