The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are Audiobook

Quotes

• “Before you spit in that vial, read this book…Copeland’s well-researched exploration of the consequences—intended and otherwise—of Americans’ increasingly common practice of sending saliva samples to companies.”

  — New York Times

• “A smart and absorbing exploration of the ethics and privacy questions surrounding this relatively new ability to confirm who’s who on our family trees.”

  — AARP

• “Even if you think (like everyone does) that your family tree holds no uncomfortable surprises, Copeland will make you ponder just how much stock we put into our genetic heritage.”

  — Washington Post

• “It is at once a hard look at the forces behind a historical mass reckoning that is happening all across America and an intimate portrait of the people living it.”

  — Wired

• “A fascinating account…Impeccably researched…Copeland presents her quest for her late father’s true heritage as a riveting mystery with as many false leads as any crime novel.”

  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

• “Copeland uses fascinating stories of family discoveries…[and] emphasizes that if you choose to send in your saliva sample, the results can reverberate through the whole family tree. Verdict: Highly recommended for popular science and memoir fans, as well as readers with an interest in genealogy.”

  — Library Journal

• “So many families have been touched—and will continue to be touched—by the secrets unearthed by home genetic testing. We are in an epidemic with few signposts, little to guide us as we contend with the unintended consequences brought upon us by scientific advancement. The Lost Family is an urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time.”

  — Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author

• “Not long ago, the idea of sequencing your DNA was as plausible as booking a trip to Jupiter. Now we give each other DNA tests as holiday gifts. As tens of millions of people look at their genes and link them to their ancestry, this science is having a profound impact on our society as a whole. It is reuniting relatives, breaking up families, and sending criminals to jail. The Lost Family is a deeply reported, deeply humane exploration of our ongoing redefinition of our identity and our kinships.”

  — Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother’s Laugh

• “A riveting mystery combined with a beautiful meditation on family and identity. I read it in one sitting and immediately preordered copies for everyone I’m related to, both by blood and by love.”

  — Monica Hesse, author of American Fire

• “A compellingly readable narrative that takes us down the rabbit hole of modern personal genomics. Libby Copeland brings a gripping story from the front lines of genealogy and genomics.”

  — Razib Khan, geneticist, the Insitome Institute

• “The Lost Family is a fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing—from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable. In the world Copeland’s ‘seekers’ are exploring, ‘Who am I?’ becomes a mystery more intricate and more crucial than any novel’s whodunit. Copeland deftly weaves together individual stories, technical explanations, and sociological discussion to make a book that’s both gripping and deeply thought-provoking.”

  — Tana French, New York Times bestselling author