60.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Memoirist to visit, sign books at Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David
Imagine, in your mid-50s, learning that your deceased father was not your biological parent, after all.
Author Dani Shapiro will have you ponder just that. She lived it, wrote about it in her latest memoir, “Inheritance,” and will speak at Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David on March 22.
“She is a very engaging, dynamic speaker,” said Alyce Goodstein, co-president of the Sisterhood at Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David, which will host the event. “It’s a beautifully written and thought-provoking mystery.”
Tickets to the morning discussion include breakfast, a copy of the book and the Q&A and book signing session with Shapiro. Guests may pick up the book prior to the event at the temple or, if they already own a copy, bring it to the event to have it signed, Goodstein said.
Shapiro’s “Inheritance” is “a memoir of genealogy, paternity and love,” she writes. The New York Times bestseller relays the story of her own journey to learn about her biological roots and weighs “nature vs. nurture.”
Rockville Centre Public Library’s non-fiction book discussion group read the memoir and discussed it on Feb. 6. It was the highest attended discussion in recent history, said group facilitator Eileen Farrell. While she can’t attend the congregation’s event, she hopes fellow readers will. At her discussion, she handed out flyers for the book talk.
“We talked about ‘what is family?’” Farrell said. “It was a great book, and I’m fascinated by how it ended up for her.”
Ironically, Shapiro had been writing about her identity for many years before this life-changing discovery. Her previous memoir, “Devotion,” is about growing up in the Orthodox Jewish faith and facing what she really believes as an adult. After it was published, Shapiro spoke with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN talk show, “SuperSoul.”
Both Farrell and Goodstein agreed that Shapiro’s work sparks great discussion and personal connection.
“Everyone has a different take on your identity,” Goodstein said. “Is it your biological parents, your environment? There’s a lot to discuss. With the issues with her religion, I thought that it might be something of interest to the synagogue and people of all faiths in the community.”
