Book Log 2022 #40: The Stranger in my Genes by Bill Griffeth

As part of his interest in genealogy, financial journalist Griffeth took a DNA test to get more information to help fill out his family tree. The results gave him not just a new branch to consider, but possibly an entirely new tree. This memoir documents his work to uncover the truth about his past and the pasts of his parents, biological and otherwise.

This book came out in 2016, when DNA testing was just becoming popular and surprise results were often (at least locally) newsworthy. Reading the book in 2022, when these sorts of results have become more commonplace, does threaten to lessen the impact of the story. But Griffeth uses his journalistic skills to tell a story in an engaging way without being overly dramatic.