Truth’s Daughter by Barbara Santarelli

Truth’s Daughter

Release: July 15th 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Black Rose Writers
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

On her sixtieth birthday, Barbara spit into a vial, hoping a genetic search engine might lead to finding her fathers’ other children. Perhaps they could shed light on her fathers’ identity and her parents short-lived marriage.

She’d met her father just four times before his brutal murder in Miami Beach/ So she had no chance of knowing him in the future. Raised in poverty in the Bronx by her beautiful and brilliant mother, she accepted the narrative of her fathers’ deceit and abandonment.

In mid-life, she is confronted with a painful truth about her mother. The seeds of doubt and search for truth began in earnest. She was determined to make truth the legacy of their lives. In the absence of facts, she discovers the importance of forgiveness and understanding as a vehicle for healing.

About the Author:

Barbara Santarelli RN, B.S- H.C.A, was an employed nurse for more than four decades before semi-retirement in 2017. She has authored articles on sex education for Tweens as well as on aging gracefully. Her previous memoir, Everything I Never Wanted was praised for its relatable, conversational writing style and candor in addressing uncomfortable truths. A mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband and spoiled ten-pound Daschund in a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old home in a Northern Westchester New York suburb. https://truthsdaughtermemoir.com/about/

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Truth’s Daughter Review:

“Truth’s Daughter” is an emotional memoir by the author that deals with how the lack of a father’s love alters someone’s upbringing and personality in life.

To begin with, I enjoyed the way the author talked about her life. I always find a person’s upbringing fascinating and wonder what triggers make a person become who they are. The author tells her story in a realistic, straightforward manner, where I felt like I read entries from her journal. The author does not have an easy relationship with her father or mother, and I liked how she narrated the story.

Moreover, it was interesting to see how her family also dealt with the absence of Charles from their lives. I particularly liked Stephen’s reaction as well. There are some intense moments in the tale, like Stephen’s brush with death and hospitalization. Moreover, I would love a separate book just on Stephen’s encounter with these events, as I felt he also went through a lot in the book. Another significant character who caught my attention was Aunt Dorothy. I found it interesting how she had so much hostility towards the author and her family after what they went through. The author adds various encounters of such people and how they shaped her as a person.

The author also brings forth interesting topics when she reminisces over her life, like if an abundance of love could offset the need to hate. In retrospect, I pondered over these questions with my own life and felt connected with the author on a higher level.

Overall, “Truth’s Daughter” is a touching memoir about forgiveness, understanding, and moving on, and I enjoyed reading it.