The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Uncovering Secrets, Reuniting Relatives, and Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland

 

"In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications. She 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. (Goodreads.com)

DNA testing is becoming more commonplace these days in the United States, although it is something I haven't done yet. The author covers a lot of territory on issues such as privacy, race and politics while weaving in stories of people that had their lives completely changed because the hunt to find out where they came from. These stories of everyday people were so fascinating and helped keep the book from becoming too serious. Despite being so comprehensive it never felt like the author was talking down at all, Copeland truly wants her audience to understand the (sometimes unintended) complications of DNA testing. At some point I may receive a DNA kit as a gift, like many people have, so reading this book was an attempt to understand this industry that is booming right now. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering getting tested, it is very informative.

Kelsey Fitzgerald

Library Assistant

Available at the Langley-Adams Library