What If You Turned Out to Be “The Milkman’s Son?” #review
The Milkman’s Son Summary
Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as “the milkman’s son.” This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a family secret, which begins with Randy’s dad having dreams about deceased relatives urging him to complete their family tree. Randy agrees to help with the genealogy, but after his searching leads to a dead end, he takes a commercially available DNA test. The results reveal a possible genetic match to a sister, which begins a familial quest that forever changes the author’s life.
Featuring a cast of vivid characters, richly drawn from two distinct families, The Milkman’s Son reveals one man’s family tree, pulling back layers of new information as he gets closer to the truth—a biological father, siblings, and family members he never knew about.
This is a story of accepting, forgiving, reuniting, and, most importantly, it’s about the bonds that connect us and the unconditional love that makes us feel like we belong.
The Milkman’s Son Review
Imagine waking up one day to discover you aren’t who you thought you were.
That’s what happened to The Milkman’s Son author Randy Lindsay. While pursuing what many say is the world’s most popular pastime, genealogy, Randy decided to take a DNA test, hoping to help with his research. He was not expecting the results he got. Randy discovered that the man he called “Dad” was not his biological father.
As more people take DNA tests, this is becoming an increasingly common story. So far, about 30 million people have taken DNA tests through a genealogy research company. That doesn’t make it any less surprising or shocking to those who uncover a family secret through their test.
This is what happened to Randy Lindsay. As he recounts his experiences after receiving this information, he goes through several stages of first thinking it is a mistake, then disbelief and shock, and eventually acceptance. This book chronicles the journey of discovering a second family, and then what must be a bit of a juggling act to get to know your “new” family while not alienating your existing family.
Randy was fortunate in having found a second family, as loving and welcoming as his first. It isn’t always that way. He shares his journey from denial to full acceptance in a way that feels authentic and natural. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be for everyone to make this discovery well into your adult years.
I found the Milkman’s Son to be an encouraging and uplifting story of discovery and acceptance. If you are one who is worried about finding that your history is what you thought it was (as a researcher myself, it’s rarely exactly as it seems), reading this book may help dispel some of your concerns.
I recommend this book for those interested in autobiography,, and in family history.
Buy the Book
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The Milkman’s Son by Randy Lindsay is available from Amazon.com in hardcover and Audio CD.
It is also available from DeseretBook.com in hardcover, Audio CD, eBook, and MP3.
