The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir

Bill Griffeth, longtime genealogy buff, takes a DNA test that has an unexpected outcome: “If the results were correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not my own.” Bill undertakes a quest to solve the mystery of his origins, which shakes his sense of identity. As he takes us on his journey, we learn about choices made by his ancestors, parents, and others, and we see Bill measure and weigh his own difficult choices as he confronts the past. Table of Contents Introduction PART I The E-mail My Family, as I Knew It You’re Still My Little Brother Nothing Makes Sense Grandma Griffeth Swab Carefully Families Are Good at Keeping Secrets Outlier Chuck’s Test Results Arrive The Mystery of Ansel Griffeth I’m Done with This Whole DNA Thing Losing My Father Can I Still Do My Job? A Lesson from Family History Results Nothing Has Changed in Your Life PART II Who Is My Father? Mom’s Complicated Family I Want to Be Your Mother Let’s Talk about My DNA Issue Mistake Doug’s Family Secret Back to Normal PART III MeetingDo You Recognize Him? My New Family History Dear Mr. Wyman Are You Taking Notes? Finding My Father Father’s Day New Ancestor Hunt Epilogue Acknowledgments