Shock & Awe, Excerpt from Junkyard Girl

Carlyn Montes De Oca appeared on Esoterica's podcast on Nov 22 to discuss her memoir, Junkyard Girl, about how taking a DNA test at 57 changed her life. Read on:

“SOMETHING BIG HAS HAPPENED in our family and I have to talk to you about it,” Lilly said, as we stood in my kitchen in Santa Fe, a week later, watching the electric tea kettle boil.

“Is someone sick? Who died? Is Ray getting divorced? Is Art okay?”

I spewed out every conceivable disaster that came to mind. Lilly shook her head slowly, her complexion a ta…