A review by bethgiven
The Milkman's Son: A Memoir of Family History. a DNA Mystery. a Story of Paternal Love. by Randy Lindsay
2.0
Randy Lindsay, on a quest to find his genealogy via Ancestry.com, uncovers more than he ever expected when he learns through DNA testing that his dad is not his biological father. He has half-siblings living on the other side of the country, who happily embrace him as family.
This type of memoir is bound to become abundant as DNA testing is becoming more popular; Inheritance by Dani Shapiro is a bestselling memoir with similar story, and Lindsay even mentions that most people know someone who’s discovered skeletons in the closet through DNA testing. I do think this particular story is interesting, but I wonder if it’s really interesting enough to warrant an entire book.
Lindsay’s memoir is filled with a lot of mundane details about corresponding with half-siblings via social media and email; once he discovers this second family, there really isn’t any conflict to propel the story forward (which is nice for him but not as engaging for us readers). I wish he had included more of the relationship between his Mom and this biological father, but Lindsay seems to recognize that it’s not his story to tell (however frustrating that may be for the reader).
I’m glad that the author has enjoyed such a positive relationship with his recently discovered half-siblings and his biological father. I’m not sure a book was necessary, but when such a thing happens to a writer, I guess you’re bound to get a memoir about it.
I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy of this book.
This type of memoir is bound to become abundant as DNA testing is becoming more popular; Inheritance by Dani Shapiro is a bestselling memoir with similar story, and Lindsay even mentions that most people know someone who’s discovered skeletons in the closet through DNA testing. I do think this particular story is interesting, but I wonder if it’s really interesting enough to warrant an entire book.
Lindsay’s memoir is filled with a lot of mundane details about corresponding with half-siblings via social media and email; once he discovers this second family, there really isn’t any conflict to propel the story forward (which is nice for him but not as engaging for us readers). I wish he had included more of the relationship between his Mom and this biological father, but Lindsay seems to recognize that it’s not his story to tell (however frustrating that may be for the reader).
I’m glad that the author has enjoyed such a positive relationship with his recently discovered half-siblings and his biological father. I’m not sure a book was necessary, but when such a thing happens to a writer, I guess you’re bound to get a memoir about it.
I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy of this book.