How does Shapiro fit in to the narrative of his life?Įqually important, how does this stranger fit in to Shapiro’s own narrative? Finding answers requires digging into dusty boxes of old records and into the minds of people with scraps of memories of Shapiro’s origin. He is in his seventies and retired, and he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren. And yet, when she musters the courage to contact him, he is reluctant to form a relationship with her. As Shapiro writes, watching him give a talk on YouTube is like seeing an alternate version of herself, one that feels immediately and viscerally connected to her own identity. He is a doctor and medical ethicist from Oregon. Through some investigative journalism and genetic sleuthing, Shapiro discovers the identity of her biological father. But both of her parents are deceased she can’t ask them any questions. After taking a DNA test through Ancestry.com - something she and her husband both did as a lark - the results came back with unanticipated news: Shapiro’s DNA was only 52% Ashkenazic. As Dani Shapiro’s new memoir opens, she stares into a mirror confronting a rankling feeling she’s had her whole life: that her face is that of a stranger she doesn’t resemble either of the Orthodox Jewish parents who raised her.And she’s just received confirmation that she’s been right all along.
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