Amanda's Journey

Book excerpt: Amanda Springs has always known that she was adopted. As a young child, her adoptive parents gave her children's books about girls who "were not expected, but were selected." Her adoptive parents always made Amanda feel like an extraordinary daughter. However, finding her birth parents was something she wanted to pursue, but initially, she had little success. Her discovery and the journey begin when she is given DNA test kits from Ancestry.com and 23andMe by an attorney. The DNA results are confusing—a list of people she doesn't know. With the help of a genetic genealogist, her "Angel," she goes on a journey to meet those who are most closely related. Amanda is stunned to learn that she has a twin sister and many other closely related relatives. She learns the true story of why she was adopted. And marvels at the lives of those in her biological family. Her life will never be the same.