Why Turn To Books?

While the tools and techniques for searching change, the fundamentals of searching, contact, reunion, and afterward do not.

Books help you understand how others searched, made contact, met for the first time, and what happened after making connections.
They highlight what worked and didn’t work so you can search more effectively and avoid pitfalls during the highly emotional contact and reunion phases.

Unlike websites and short videos, books can provide a deeper glimpse into the internal world that we all experience.
Books help you understand you are not alone – that you have shared experiences with others.

Our recommended reading list is below.

Birthright: The Guide to Search and Reunion for Adoptees, Birth Parents, and Adoptive Parents – Jean A.S. Strauss
(Every adoptee and birth family member should read this book)

Lost & Found – Betty Jean Lifton

Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child – Nancy Verrier

The Girls Who Went Away – Ann Flessler

Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self – Brodzinsky, Schechter, Henig

Paper and Spit: How DNA and Genealogy revealed my First Parents Identify – Don Anderson

Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA – Richard Hill

Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond – Emily Aulicino

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy – Blaine Bettinger, JD

List of Genetic Genealogy Books at the ISOGG wiki

Not all books are as helpful as they could be. If you have a question about a book that is not on the list, please Contact Us about the title and we will gladly provide our insight and opinion.