Why people recommend it
Dani Shapiro's deeply personal memoir Inheritance recounts the author's shocking discovery through a commercial genealogy test that her biological father was not the man who raised her, forcing a profound reexamination of her family history and identity. On The Book Review, Pamela Paul and the author herself discussed the book extensively, with Shapiro reflecting on her writing process as a lifelong novelist tackling her fifth memoir, the complexities of her relationship with her biological father, and the overwhelming public response to her story. Additionally, on Freakonomics Radio, the host discussed the memoir while reflecting on the author's unique upbringing within an Orthodox Jewish family as a blonde outlier, noting how genetic ancestry tests upend conventional notions of lineage. Throughout these podcast segments, the speakers underscored the emotional resonance of the book, praising its exploration of paternity, genealogy, and love in the wake of unexpected genetic revelations that shatter lifelong assumptions about identity and belonging.
Who recommended it
- Dani Shapiro Discussed
- Pamela Paul Recommended
Dani Shapiro — 3 mentions
“inheritance is my fifth Memoir and I still think of myself as a novelist”
“I've told him that I'm not going to write about him anymore after after inheritance”
“and when the first pieces of publicity and and and reviews and and magazine pieces started coming out about about inheritance”
Pamela Paul — 2 mentions
“it's called inheritance A Memoir of genealogy paternity and love”
“the book again is called inheritance A Memoir of genealogy paternity and Love by Danny Shapiro”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“It’s so curious to me because I've read the book 'Inheritance' by Dani Shapiro. I haven't read it, but I know she came from an Orthodox Jewish family and was always the blonde outlier.”