"Before You Spit in That Vial, Read This Book." ―New York Times
"A fascinating account of lives dramatically affected by genetic
sleuthing." ―Wall Street Journal
"Wrestles with some of the biggest questions in life: Who are we? What
is family? Are we defined by nature, nurture or both?" ―Washington
Post
You swab your cheek or spit into a vial, then send your DNA test away to
a lab somewhere. Weeks later you get a report that might tell you where
your ancestors came from or if you carry certain genetic risks. Or the
report could reveal a long-buried family secret and upend your entire
sense of identity.
Soon a lark becomes an obsession, an incessant desire to find answers to
questions at the core of your being, like "Who am I?" and "Where did I
come from?" Welcome to the age of home genetic testing.
The Lost Family delves into the many lives that have been irrevocably
changed by home DNA tests--a technology that represents the end of
family secrets. So much can come out when you use biology to find out
"the truth"
- Adoptees who've used the tests to find their birth parents
- Donor-conceived adults who suddenly discover they have more than 50
siblings
- Hundreds of thousands of Americans who discover their fathers aren't
biologically related to them, a phenomenon so common it is known as a
"non-paternity event"
- Individuals who are left to grapple with their conceptions of race
and ethnicity when their true ancestral histories are discovered
In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what
happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little
understanding of the ramifications. Copeland explores the culture of
genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like
Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her
unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that
becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story.
Throughout these accounts, Copeland explores the impulse toward genetic
essentialism and raises the question of how much our genes should get to
tell us about who we are. With more than 30 million people having
undergone home DNA testing, the answer to that question is more
important than ever. Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is
a spectacular book on a big, timely subject.
