SCPL Online NonFiction Book Club discussion

In the opening pages of Inheritance, we learn that Dani Shapiro has a deep reverence for her descendants and thus, a deep certainty about who she is and where she comes from.

On page 8, she discusses showing her son a documentary chronicling her Jewish family's prewar life in Poland and says it was "urgently important" for her to teach her son about his "ancestral lineage" and in doing so, provide a "sense of grounding in coming from [their] family". Shapiro says on page 12 that her "ancestors are the foundation upon which [she] has built her life".

Can you relate to this reverence or even "obsession" as she calls it on page 12? Is your family also meticulous about sharing photos, stories, histories? Or, do you wish that your family had done more to preserve and record information about your ancestors?

Does your family history provide you with a sense of certainty about your identity and a feeling of belonging, or do you think this is felt more strongly by Shapiro than the average person, due to her illustrious ancestors and cultural heritage?

My family is aware of our history, but I wouldn’t say we’re “obsessed” or even “meticulous.” We have a healthy respect for our forbearers but that’s about it. I’m the self-appointed genealogist in the family so I have a much higher awareness and respect that pretty much anyone in my extended family. I’ve done a fair bit to research and record information about my ancestors, but I’d obviously love more. It’s an ongoing process.

Yes, my family history definitely provides me with a certainty about my identity and a feeling of belonging. My mom is a second-generation immigrant (her parents and grandparents immigrated to Canada after WWII). I have records showing my dad’s family in (what became) Canada as far back as 1799. Therefore, I both identify with the long-term Anglo roots of Canadian culture and the more recent refugee immigrant experience.

I do think Shapiro probably feels even more deeply than the average person because of the prominence of her ancestors. She’s also spent a LOT of time self-reflecting on her cultural heritage and what it means for her. Therefore, I believe the revelations in this book are way more impactful to her than they would have been to me. I’d still question things, but I doubt I’d fundamentally question who I am like she did.