‘The Stranger in My Genes’ and other tales of unexpected DNA results

It is, therefore, perhaps unsurprising that this is not a recent book release review. Published six years apart, The Stranger in My Genes, and its sequel, Strangers No More, are a pair of books that I purchased around a year ago and had been lamenting in that lonely “to read” pile ever since. 

The Stranger in My Genes is a frank and honest account of Bill Griffeth’s discovery about his paternity from a DNA test, the impact it had upon him and the far reaching consequences, like ripples in a pond, across the wider family.

Whilst some people take a DNA test “for a bit of fun” Bill was already an avid family historian and talks of how his research had given him a real sense of identity, both with the people he had come to know and the places they had lived.

This is a compelling tale of the impact of suddenly finding out that your birth father isn’t who you thought they were, but, of course, it is not really a tale, it is a reality. Rather than jumping straight in with the DNA test and its consequences though this is a biography of the whole family. Bill’s older sisters and brother are just as important to the story as his parents and you are drawn into all of their stories, so much so, that by the end of the first book I was left wanting to know, “yes, but what about Barbara and Scharlene and Priscilla?” (Spoiler alert, we come back to them in Strangers No More).

The Stranger in My Genes, published in 2016, begins with an email from Bill’s paternal cousin, Doug, who confirms the findings of Bill’s DNA test:

“My body responded before my brain could. I experienced a strange sensation of floating, and I could no longer feel the chair I was sitting in or the Blackberry I was holding…”

We are taken on Bill’s journey, reflecting on his childhood, the confirmation of the test results, testing others to be sure what the DNA results mean and his first awkward conversations with his mother. We learn that this is not the first family secret to be uncovered and the difficulties of no longer being connected to family stories that once were “yours”.

There’s a refreshing honesty about his response to the reactions of others and how words meant kindly are not always helpful, when you are still processing and coming to terms with what you have found.

The story continues in Strangers No More, published six years later. We learn more of the journey of discovery, more about the family and other uncovered secrets, but also about the many experiences of others who have been through something similar.

This is a genre that holds a special interest for me. I love helping people solve family mysteries with DNA results. There is always that feeling though, isn’t there?, that you can never really understand what it is to go through something like this unless you have experienced it yourself. I would encourage anyone working in this field to read both of these titles for the insights into what the reality feels like through the eyes of many who have been there.

 More tales of unexpected DNA results and searches for unknown relatives

Like I said, this is a particular area of interest of mine. I have a fondness for reading accounts of unexpected findings from DNA results and of known adoptees searching for birth relatives. Here are some of the other titles I have read on a similar theme and that I would thoroughly recommend:



There is actually a great list I found too, predominantly aimed at adoptees: Adoptee Reading – Books about DNA Testing/Genetic Genealogy.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether on the books I have already read, those I have on my list or other titles you would recommended.