I am always interested in books around the Vietnam era and this one did not disappoint. Although different than I usually read, it is a journey of self discovery for Robert Brigham as he learns more about his genealogy and his connection to the very thing he spent his life studying. Overall great book!

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic. I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed reading Robert K Brigham’s journey of finding both self and learning about his birth families identities. Genealogy is a huge passion of mine and as the daughter of a Vietnam veteran I had personal interest in this story. The pacing of this book was perfect. Even between chapters I found myself thinking and reflecting on this book throughout my day. This such a raw and real story of adoption, self discovery and most importantly family, both blood and those that chose us.

This is an absolutely immersive story. It is hard to classify as it is more than a memoir. It captures important social analysis of poverty, war, children’s rights and concepts such as privacy. The story is all the more satisfying because you get to see what happens as the author discovers the truth about his past. The process of investigation and discovery exposes some truly bizarre links and coincidences across time, people and places. It raises questions about why people do what they do and the lasting impacts of those decisions over generations. A very interesting and compelling book which will make you think.