Unearthing

Book cover of Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets

Book description

For readers of Crying in H Mart and Wintering, an unforgettable memoir about a family secret revealed by a DNA test, the lessons learned in its aftermath, and the indelible power of love.

Three months after Kyo Maclear's father dies in December 2018, she gets the results of a DNA…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Unearthing as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jessica J. Lee

Author

This is a book I read quite recently that reminded me of why I love gardens: because they teach us about ourselves and offer an opportunity to connect to those around us.

In Unearthing, Maclear unpacks a family secret and reconnects with her mother, but she tells the story through plants and gardens. It’s a book that demonstrates how entwined our human lives are with the natural world.

From Jessica's list on change how you think about plants.

Lee Edward Födi

Author

This memoir stuck with me for weeks after finishing it. Maclear leads us on an intimate reexamining of everything about her life after a DNA test reveals that her deceased father is not her biological one.

Maclear’s quest takes many twists; I genuinely had no idea how this journey would turn out. There is such raw vulnerability in Maclear’s telling, which is seeded with beautiful metaphors of gardening and growth.

Even though I do not have the same sort of storied past of Maclear’s family (her mom was once good friends with Yoko Ono, and her father was a journalist…

From Lee's 3 favorite reads in 2023.