I had a Holiday Vacation goal. (I had several goals, but reading a book was one of them. ; ) Ancestry Discoveries was a great choice for many reasons. For one, I needed to complete an unfinished read from a while back, but the chaos of work life + personal life was getting the better of my time and attention span. 2- At the NAAP/ Right To Know Untangling Our Roots summit back in March-April, I made a promise to Annette Becklund, my table-mate at the authors’ booth section, that I would read and review her memoir. 3- This was a first experience for me in that I had never read an NPE (Not Parent Expected) memoir before, and I wanted to expand my understanding. I was curious to explore the similarities and uniquenesses between an adoptee’s experience and Annette’s.
Ancestry Discoveries is both a memoir and a teaching moment book. Becklund introduces the reader to newer terms used in adoption and NPE circles. She explains well certain feelings and thoughts a person will experience if either what they thought was true about their life suddenly isn’t, having an unexplainable urge or longing for places and things and how to deal with people you once trusted until you realize they have been helping to harbor secrets about you, (or aiding someone else who has been lying/ hiding the truth).
For sure any reader, adopted, NPE or not, can find benefit in Becklund’s use of humor and her entire chapter on forgiveness. The humorous phrasing throughout this memoir keeps the story entertaining, friendly and reminds the reader that laughter is important when seeking ways to heal from a wrong doing. Finding humor is a defense mechanism sometimes, but also a balm to help in moving forward as you reconstruct your life after an emotionally-charged alteration in circumstances. Another significant piece of advice Annette Becklund imparts is how necessary it is to seek out activities and people that provide you with positive feelings and good experiences. This will help create a sense of balance in your life and let you know you do have some choices.
Ancestry Discoveries is a great story with meaningful advice and an upbeat feeling. Adoptees, (especially adoptee-lites and late discovery adoptees) and NPEs have a lot in common regarding dealing with “forbidden” information and secrets, the need for mirroring, the quest for accurate heritage and health history. Purchasing Ancestry Discoveries supports righttoknow.us, which is an organization that offers services and support to individuals who come to realize that one of their parents is not biological as they were raised and led to believe.
