Blending social history and personal narratives, Gail Lukasik delves into the devastating psychological trauma of uncovering a hidden family secret with all the twists and turns of a mystery novel, starting with how the discovery was made; to why it was kept secret; to the arduous, sometimes disappointing, quest to find a biological parent or parents. To fully understand the secrecy surrounding these family secrets, the book examines pre-WWII and post-WWII attitudes toward infertility, adoption, donor conception, race and racial passing, and unmarried pregnant women. Prefacing these harrowing narratives is the author's own confusing and sometimes painful journey to redefine her racial identity under the spotlight of public opinion. She is a contributor at the Washington Post. She has also appeared on PBS's Genealogy Roadshow, BBC World News, and NBC's Megyn Kelly Today.