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Book Review of The Milkman's Son by Randy Lindsay

Have you ever felt like you’re the odd-one-out in your family; or been teased that you’re the milkman’s child? Or, have you ever tried your hand at family history work? Randy Lindsay did both, and it didn’t turn out quite like he expected. DNA testing has been able to do amazing things with family history, including finding links to people you never knew you were related to. It’s been so helpful, in fact, that it has been known to find a few surprises in families around the world. Randy Lindsay’s family tree had a big surprise waiting for him! Find out more in my review of The Milkman’s Son by Randy Lindsay.

Blurb:

“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.”

My Book Review:

This story is crazy! It’s one of those stories where you’re thinking, “You can’t make this stuff up!” Lindsay’s writing draws you in from the beginning. His writing style is easy to read, casual, and has a good amount of humor in it. It’s easy to get lost in this story because it flows well, it holds your attention, and you have to know more. What? What happens next? You found out what??

At the beginning of the book I wasn’t sure if I’d care about some unknown person’s family tree, but I did! I think I cared because of Lindsay’s writing. I loved the humor he added. Lindsay draws you in, and you feel like you’re a branch on his family tree. You care for the people he discusses; you cry with him, laugh with him, and are just as shocked as he is at some of the surprises he finds.

One thing I really wanted to know more about was his mother. That part of the story remains a mystery, and I think her side of the story is important. Not knowing her side definitely left a hole in the story. She would have been able to answer a whole bunch of my questions.

My siblings are really good at family history. I find it fascinating, but I haven’t put as much time and effort in as they have. On my dad’s side, we can only go back as far as my great-great grandfather, and then the line stops. We, too, are now delving into the land of DNA to see if it helps. I hope we don’t find too many surprises along the way!

I enjoyed this book. It’s quite the story! I think it will inspire a few people to look into their family history because of the way Lindsay describes it, and because of his surprises. You’ll enjoy this book even if you’re not into family history at all.