Although her story is unique to her, it offers a way of thinking about our changing, uncertain times. What is ancestry? I'm definitely in the minority when it comes to this book. However, I think I would have dismissed much of it as just beyond belief had I not already read so extensively on the JFK assassination. This is the best memoir I've read this year. by Trine Day. Fascinating…This beautifully written, thought-provoking genealogical mystery will captivate readers from the very first pages. Identity is frail business, and in her searing story, Dani Shapiro makes the most disquieting discovery: that everything, from her lineage, to her father, down to her very own sense of self is an astounding error. Yes or No. I have read more books on the JFK assassination than I can count, but certainly somewhere around two hundred. The Inheritance, The Poison Fruit of the JFK Assassination” is an amazing read of one man’s decent into the hell of being declared an “enemy” of the US government for possessing evidence from the JFK assassination that laid outside of US government hands by Robert Kennedy’s design. This man, Christopher Fulton, gave up eight and a half years of his life in horrible prisons, one of which was the worst in the country. I loathe my government. Dani Shapiro was used to strangers’ comments about her blond hair and blue eyes. A fascinating read by a gifted writer. Mind-shattering. In prose as clear as a bell, Inheritance addresses the impact of nature versus nurture, as well as ethical dilemmas of which we have barely began to scratch the surface… it is superb storytelling like Shapiro’s that allows readers to grasp the profound human implications of rapid advances in the fields of fertility and genealogy. Dani Shapiro is an only child yet questioned her appearance in the mirror. But, HE is, imho, totally believable, which makes this book even nuttier. You're 54 years old, always felt like the odd duck in your Jewish family, blond, blue eyed, pale, but you were not prepared for the results of your genealogical testing. On a whim, in her fifties, she joined her husband in sending off a DNA test kit. This book offered unique and explosive information about a period in our history that is written about frequently. It is the story of a woman’s urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. The book screams how out of touch Shapiro is with real life challenges. Inheritance is a book about secrets–secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. Her father was Jewish. To see what your friends thought of this book, Jackie Kennedy did not want keep the watch as a memory of the assassination, and gave it mrs Lincoln who gave it to David white, who sold it to Fulton. Page after page, Shapiro displays a disarming honesty and an acute desire to know the unknowable. To create our... Christopher Fulton's journey began with the death of Evelyn Lincoln, late secretary to President John F. Kennedy. A real page-turner. Inheritance adds significantly to Shapiro’s body of work while plugging into some of our culture’s most pressing concerns – identity, technology and medical ethics, among others. Her magnificent journey of selfhood, arduous and awakening, makes our communal reflection in the mirror deeper and continually delving. There are no right or wrong feelings, just different ones. Paul had a daughter from a previous marriage but Irene had no children of her own and was approaching forty years old. I have heard good things about it but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I really wish everyone would have access to this book and read it, especially those more than 35 years of age. Everybody is different and everyone handles experiences and situations differently. Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love. The better the writer, the more unassailable the identity. Refresh and try again. Did Dani change the name and details about him to protect his identity? Inheritance zooms in on the blind spots that result when reproductive technology outpaces an understanding of its consequences. In Caro's book on LBJ he makes a fairly convincing argument why LBJ was unaware of the assassination and this book claims he had full knowledge. In this research I have come across a few books that I have had difficulty getting my head around, or books that fail to convince me of their historical provenance. Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See, - It totally changes my concept of America- how can we return to the age of innocence where good triumphs over evil? Learn more I knew this wasn't really the book for me when I started just skimming at only about 15% in. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Highly recommended! My previous reading supplied the framework, so I already understood the role of LBJ, the fact that the Secret Service did not provide the customary protection/violated standard procedures, the fact that Lee Harvey Oswald was a military intelligence operative, This was one of the most compelling books I've read in a long time...I had a hard time putting it down.