Send us Fan Mail What would you do if, on the day you buried your mother, you discovered a hidden bundle of records labeled with one clear instruction: Please destroy these? In this gripping first part of Corey and Kendall’s conversation with retired journalist and author Paul O’Connor, a lifetime of hidden family history begins to unravel through DNA testing, courthouse archives, old birth records, and one relentless search for the truth. Paul shares how a mystery surrounding his mother’s identity turned into a years-long investigation that ultimately became his new book, The Missing Child: The Life She Lost and the Life She Led, releasing May 26. Pre-orders are available now. What begins as curiosity about his mother’s background evolves into something much deeper: an emotional exploration of shame, secrecy, adoption-era stigma, and the devastating weight family secrets can carry across generations. Using AncestryDNA, 23andMe, historical records, and help from newly discovered cousins, Paul uncovers shocking truths about infidelity, hidden relatives, and the biological grandfather his family never knew existed. Along the way, he and Kendall discuss the emotional complexity of adoption, identity, DNA surprises, and one question that lingers throughout the episode: Is knowing the truth always better? In this episode: Paul discovers hidden family records after his mother’s death A DNA test reveals unexpected biological connections The emotional fallout of long-buried family secrets Adoption stigma and shame in the early 1900s How genealogy research helped uncover the truth Why Paul wrote The Missing Child The complicated emotional legacy of secrecy Kendall reflects on growing up adopted without secrecy If you’ve ever searched for biological family, uncovered a DNA surprise, wrestled with identity, or wondered how hidden truths shape generations, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Pre-order Paul O’Connor’s new book, The Missing Child: The Life She Lost and the Life She Led, ahead of its May 26 release, and subscribe to Family Twist for more stories about DNA surprises, adoption, NPE discoveries, donor conception, and the secrets families keep.