UPROOTED

Uprooted is a genetic whodunit, with all the twists and turns of a mystery novel, and the added bonus that it’s all true. Boni’s gripping story of his search for his roots and the identity of his biological father is poignant, bittersweet, and revelatory. Highly recommend.

Peter Boni has managed to create a compelling read, a journey which includes personal struggles weaved into the fascinating science of early infertility treatment. His search for his genetic origins generously educates readers and keeps them engaged right up to the magical ending.

Blending memoir and a deep dive into the shady history of the assisted reproduction industry, Uprooted exposes essential truths about the human condition, identity, and family. It is a worthwhile read for fertility practitioners, donors, recipient parents, and donor conceived individuals alike. Now that we know better, we must do better.

An intimate and ambitious portrait of the search for self through understanding the past. Peter Boni deftly weaves history, culture, science, and law to reveal why it’s hard to tell your life story without knowing how it started.

Uprooted is enjoyable and extremely well-written, with all the elements of suspense, education, emotion, and self-reflection. Boni’s journey sheds light on the experience felt by many of the couples I care for as well as the issues that their donor-derived children grapple with.

Uprooted is a compelling mystery written from the perspective of someone who learned later in life that he was donor-conceived and is searching to find out the truth about his origins. I believe it will also be a valuable resource for those working in the assisted reproductive technology field.

Thoughtful and well-researched…An intriguing memoir that presents an unusual and necessary perspective.

[Boni’s] inspiring resilience and personal growth make Uprooted as uplifting as it is eye-opening.

Uprooted is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the donor-conception industry—yes, industry—and the effects it’s having on people as they struggle to understand their origins. With the dawn of the mail-in DNA test, people’s true identities are coming to light as quickly as opening an email. Deep secrets are crumbling as genetic bewilderment shakes the core of families from all walks of life. Peter J. Boni takes readers through his personal search for the truth about his own identity, while educating them about the donor-conception industry’s checkered past. His deft writing manages to both entertain and educate. I highly recommend that anyone interested in the growing MPE (“misattributed parental event”) phenomenon add this book to their library.

Uprooted offers a personal view of the consequences of secrecy in the practice of donor conception. A prominent CEO, Peter Boni, uncovers a family secret that both validates and disrupts his life. Combining his extensive research of the early practice of donor insemination with his own genetic discoveries, Boni reveals the questions, uncertainties, and confusion he faced, as well as the exhilaration of connecting with genetic kin.

Boni provides a detailed history of the practice of donor conception, walking us through the social, legal, and religious climate that encouraged secrets in reproductive technology and stunted the advancement of our social narratives.

Secrets are no match for personal determination and the universal need for self-discovery, no matter what age. Boni doesn’t stop his search until his parents’ secret comes to light.

Peter Boni takes us through his own comprehensive “surprise” journey of assisted reproductive technology, which uniquely sensitizes participants to the needs of those who science helps conceive. Uprooted unveils how scientific advances can cause harm, help and happiness. The balance between these outcomes is an ethical fine line that he, with constructive compassion and factual examples, helps us walk.

In Uprooted, Mr. Boni recounts his personal quest to discover his biological origins. Having been in the reproductive health industry for more than 28 years, what is unique about Uprooted is the historical perspective that puts the current occurrence of sperm donation into context. Boni traces its early beginnings in the twelfth century, through the very controversial practice of eugenics in the late 1800s, until modern times, when sperm donation has become a common practice and accounted for millions of children born worldwide. With the new tools of DNA analysis and companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, the identity of a sperm donor, once a very private matter (the use of a sperm donor has a negative emotional impact on infertile men), is now available online in a matter of weeks. Mr. Boni’s obsession and diligence in searching for his mysterious biological father and his true origins kept me riveted as I empathized with the ups and downs of his journey.

Uprooted is a passionate telling of a secret that was intended to be taken to the grave… This is a story that not only provides a startling look at reproductive technologies but similarly serves as a wake-up call for an industry practice that no one talks about.

This is gripping, upsetting material, told with clarity and wit . . . [R]eaders interested in issues of genealogy will tear through the pages.

Exceptional storytelling…[A] compelling memoir of a troubled childhood with an unwell father, a determination to succeed, and the challenges of grappling with the emotional fallout of his family’s secrets. It’s also an exhaustive and insightful account of the history of assisted reproductive technology; a cogent indictment of the flaws of the largely unregulated, multi-billion-dollar industry; and a rallying cry for advocacy with a prescription for change. Boni’s scope is ambitious and he succeeds on every level.