I’ve always been fascinated by genetics. One of my high school term papers was about how twin studies helped tease out the contributions of nature versus nurture to human personality. In these three amazing reads, a mail away DNA test reveals unexpected genetic connections, spurring the characters to explore new things about themselves and their families. All three of these books are can’t put down reads.

Paige Meyer’s life certainly isn’t perfect, but it’s falling into place. She’s starting to get over the death of her beloved father and she’s finally getting married to a great guy. But when she gets a message from a mail away DNA test company claiming her biological father is a man named Andy Abrams, she begins to question everything she’s ever known. On one hand, she’s shocked that the father she’s always adored is not her biological father, but on the other, this revelation helps answer questions that have been surfacing her whole life. The story explores how Paige and her mother, Elizabeth, handle this exposed secret and how they move forward in the wake of the exploded bomb. The dual timelines add depth and intrigue and Hammer handles both storylines with nuance, tenderness and grace. I loved all of the characters and couldn’t stop turning the pages to see how the story would turn out.

I have loved Strawser’s previous books, but with this one, her writing and storytelling are elevated to another level. I was immediately drawn in to this incredibly emotional and powerful novel. The story centers on Caroline, a suburban mom in a happy marriage with three children. When she gets a random message from the company where she’d sent a mail-in DNA test on a whim, she begins to question everything she’s every known and trusted. As Caroline tentatively begins communicating with Sela, the half-sister she’d never known existed, she is unaware of Sela’s motive for sending in the test—she has advanced kidney failure and desperately needs a donor kidney. Strawser deftly alternates between Caroline’s and Sela’s perspectives, showing both sides of the complicated, emotional and heartbreaking situation. Kudos to Strawser for doing meticulous research; the medical sections are on point, with just the right amount of detail to make the story believable. This is the kind of book I wish I’d written!

I’ve been a fan of Dani Shapiro’s writing for a while and this memoir is the culmination of her unbelievable talent. The story is fascinating and the writing absolutely beautiful. Shapiro leaves her entire soul on the page, not shying away from exploring her emotional reactions when she finds herself in an unthinkable situation. After taking a mail away DNA test on a whim, she learns that her beloved father, who died tragically when Shapiro was 23, is not her biological father. I took this journey of self-discovery right alongside Shapiro, experiencing her highs and lows as she figures out who her biological father is and why she didn’t learn this secret until she was 54. She struggles to reconcile the person she’d thought she was with her new knowledge, and figure out the person she wants to be going forward.