Many adoptees dream of discovering that their birth parents are royalty, celebrities, or aristocrats. It’s the stuff of fantasy. But what happens when it could be a reality?
The Secret Daughter is the tale of Nikki Carlson, an adoptee whose search for her roots sets her on an unbelievable thrill ride and emotional odyssey that forever changes her. Adopted as a toddler into a big game-hunting Minnesota family and raised on the flat prairies of the Midwest, Nikki’s life is wholly unremarkable. Haunted by the mysteries of her origins, once Nikki comes of age, she begins to search for her biological roots. What she uncovers is more surreal and twisted than anything she could have imagined.
Her quest to understand her origins brings her into the world of New York high society and then in an unforeseen turn of events, across the Atlantic and into old Italian aristocracy. She unlocks these pieces of information one painstaking step at a time, with people trying to block her path at every turn.
The man believed to be her biological father is an Italian aristocrat, a staple of European gossip columns who hosted Jackie Kennedy in Rome, was rumored to have romanced Princess Margaret, and in his later years, lived a secret second life with his much younger male partner.
When Nikki eventually connects with the man she believes is her biological father, things take a tragic he’s just learned he’s terminally ill—which prompts a cast of characters in his life to stake their claims to his roughly €20 million estate.
Suspicions simmer around Nikki’s intentions, her timing and her place in the world of her purported father. What follows is a dizzying descent into deception, betrayal and high-society scandal. Throughout, questions Is Nikki a grieving daughter simply trying to connect with her heritage? Or is she a manipulative outsider exploiting an old man at the end of his life? Did this man want to leave her anything? Who did he want to have his riches and why?
There are accusations of fraud, whispers of art theft, and even suggestions that the funeral arrangements are a smokescreen to bar Nikki from the family. Tabloid photographers chase the story. Lawyers line up on both sides of the Atlantic.
More than anything, Nikki Carlson wants to know the truth about her origins. She wants answers and to deeply connect to who she really is. Will she unlock her true identity? Will she gain the resolution she’s sought her entire life?
The Secret Daughter is an unforgettable true saga that urges all of us to ask who we are and what it is we want.
I found this a little irritating! I don't know if it was how it was narrated or the writing, but I'm afraid I did have the urge to shake Nikki and say get a grip.
I have never been the worlds most sympathetic reader, but I'm afraid this one pushed all the wrong buttons. I found the legal side of the book interesting, but the rest, with all of the awful characters, not so much.
Annoying "true" saga is a huge time waster. If that's what you need, then borrow this aubible.com freebie and return it as fast as you can.
There's more talk and descriptions about "the Italian summer nights" "the Italian food" the Italian clothes", etc...More FANTASY and WISH FULFILLMENT than actual story.
If this is a true tall tale, then someone ought to write a better story than this "All American who is the only person to save the Italian heirs in an Italian inheritance case". All hail the savvy American adoptee!
Oh and lets talk about the judges hair and demeanor, or the bloody tampons that was kept by the Italian dude, and the fact that she just flew to Italy without a DNA to confront her suspected "father" and eveyone is cool with it. Then "il babbo" dies within weeks of meeting his secret daughter and grandchild and BOOM, we also find out that "daddy" is GAY!!
The voice actors are definitely good, too good because real people would have been more authentic aka believable.
This gives a little too much ."These Tangled Vines" The podcasty vibe of the telling was annoying and if the Italians recognize a child as automatically getting half why is this still such a fight? Also, the way Nikis daughter talked about being so close with her grand parents is creepy since why in the hell did Niki entrust her child with a man who sexually abused her? And they were like sign these papers or we are going to tell everyone what you did...what? Insane behavior...from everyone.
Im from and live in Minnesota so I thought ok this will be cool..it wasn't.
The one daughter kinda bothered me indulging in Mario’s gifts where her mom didn’t want to partake. I think if I was in Nikki’s position I’d feel the same way she did about wanting a relationship and not wanting to be perceived as a gold digger. …but I also know as a young adult like her daughter, I’d be stoked to find out I had an Italian Daddy Warbucks as my grandpa and not see a problem with developing a relationship and accepting gifts from a long lost relative. It also rubbed me wrong after Mario dies, her daughter is the one pushing her mom towards moving forward in the legal battles… which is exhausting. All Nikki wanted was a connection to a family. Going to court for a speeding ticket is stressful, I don’t know how you go years between continents dealing with it. The daughter also laments at some point how after Mario dies her dreams she had made of becoming a fashion designer and the money Mario said he’d put into her career died, because the money she was told she would get wasn’t coming. What were you planning on doing BEFORE you learned you had an extremely wealthy grandpappy? Then at the end they go to collect some Andy Warhol painting grand-dad left to a former communist leader, who agreed to give it up, and the daughter is stoked cuz she’s a socialist. You just spent years encouraging your mom to fight for a large inheritance, but you’re a socialist? I hope the daughter’s plan is that if she ever inherits the money she plans on handing it all over to the US Government for social programs.
I’m mixed on Nikki too, I understand this book wasn’t about the childhood abuse by her adoptive family, but it kinda got glossed over, which leaves it up to the readers imagination that it was absolutely horrific, or she was a damaged kid and interpreted feeling out of place as abuse. Especially since her kids still had a good relationship with her adoptive parents, which means, she brought her kids around them regularly.
I sympathize with the wanting to know who your bio parents are and finding an identity and I’m glad Nikki got to spend time with her bio dad before he died. If I were her, I’d have given up on the inheritance early on. That’s exhausting, and I think the cousins would have still been welcoming to her once biology was established and she had already put up a little bit of a fight for them. It seems like she’s fighting for it so she can redistribute to the nieces and nephews that seemed to be randomly cut out in a questionable revising of the Will, which is commendable to a point.
I don’t know, there’s two sides to every story, and there were a few people whose perspective I would’ve liked to hear that declined interview.
It was an interesting overall story, just some things that I was like “ehhhh, I’d like a little more insight on that detail.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
No adoption story is easy and this one fraught with more pitfalls than many, yet it is a good story to hear. While far more sensationalized than I like, the story brings up so many of the issues surrounding adoption.
The adoptee wants to know her bio family, which is a common theme in adoption stories and completely understandable. The book also brings out the question of the rights of the bio mom to relinquish the child and that be the end of it. It brings up where the bio dad fits in the picture and where the adoptee fits in his family and lineage.
Adoptees face not only acceptance/rejection by their bio parents, but also how the rest of the two families will accept/reject them. It affects siblings and extended family. It affects what people have always thought about the bio parents and how the revelation of a child relinquished in adoption challenges conceptions of a person.
Their is so much here to unpack, which is only complicated by the fact that another country becomes part of the legal wrangling of paternity and all that entails.
Seeing the searching of my high school best friend for her bio mom (reading the telephone book, driving around town examining faces) has me relating very personally to Nikki. Unlike Nikki, my friend did not discover her bio family and it lingers, wondering who she is and where she came from.
I've watched my internationally adopted daughter struggle with the same questions. It is an existential search for identity that never leaves, even after bio family is found. The what ifs are always just a blink away in the back of ones mind.
It's not easy being adopted and when unfortunate events surround the adoptee it can become their worst nightmare.
The Secret Daughter, as an audiobook by "Forest Sounds" and narrated by Ellen Archer, is a peculiar choice for a title. After listening, I can only assume the name "Forest Sounds" is meant to be a nod to the book's occasionally naturalistic and hushed tone, but it comes across as more of an oddity.
The biggest issue with this audiobook is the uneven narration. Ellen Archer has a pleasant enough voice, but her performance in this book is just not consistent. At times, she delivers the story with a compelling intimacy, but then she falls into a surprisingly flat, almost monotone delivery for stretches, which makes the more emotional or suspenseful parts of the plot fall flat. It's like listening to a story that keeps losing its rhythm.
The plot itself, about an adoptee's quest for her aristocratic biological father, has a lot of potential. However, it gets bogged down in an overwhelming amount of detail. The author (whoever they are behind the "Forest Sounds" pseudonym) seems to have thrown every possible scandal and twist into the mix—secret affairs, disputed wills, high society gossip, and a sick old man. The narrative becomes a dizzying list of events rather than a cohesive story. There's a difference between a complex plot and a jumbled one, and this feels like the latter.
While the premise is intriguing, the execution is hampered by both the unfocused storytelling and the narrator's inconsistent performance. It's a shame, as the core idea is a good one, but the final product is a messy and ultimately unsatisfying listen.
This is an overly dramatic tell of Nikki Carlson's story. She was adopted by a family in Pennsylvania when she was a toddler, and even though she had a normal life and was loved by her adoptive family, she always felt as if she didn't belong. When she was of age she started her journey towards learning who her biological family was. She found her mother, who didn't want anything to do with her. 10 years later she found her father who is an Italian aristocrat who has ties to Princess Margaret and Princess Diana. But her father has cancer and dies shortly after.
This is an ongoing legal battle still, so there is no real ending to the story. I liked it because it was told like a very dramatic soap opera, so it was even funny to listen to.But to be honest, in this story Nikki comes out looking very unlikeable, and I just don't trust her.
I can understand that an adopted child feels the strong sense of wanting to know where she comes from. But, where does the rights of the bio parents come into place? When they gave up their child to be adopted doesn't it mean they want nothing to do with said child? Why are the chldren given their information?
This story in particular has a lot of inconsistencies.
I think a lot of readers are misunderstanding what this story is really about. This was never about greed or chasing money. it was about identity and reclaiming truth. The inheritance was incidental. Even if she never received a cent, she still wanted the truth acknowledged, and she was clear that the money could go to the cousins. At its core, this is a story about belonging and origin. She did come from that family, whether people are comfortable with that fact or not, and dismissing it ignores the emotional weight of discovering who you are and where you come from. Let that concept sink in before judging her motivations. Coming from a middle-class background also shaped her perspective differently than the rest of the family, and that contrast added depth rather than entitlement. I found the story compelling, emotional, and brave. It takes courage to stand up for your identity when others would rather deny it. Overall, an incredible and thought-provoking story—and I applaud her for telling it.
While this story did seem a bit far-fetched at times, that’s also what made it intriguing. While I was not a fan of the narration, I felt the other reviews were rather harsh and generally lacked compassion. As someone who grew up without a relationship with my biological father and later found out that I had been lied to about who my father was, I could completely relate to some of the feelings expressed by Nikki that may see odd or irrational to readers who haven’t experienced anything similar.
The book did a good job of illustrating just how much not knowing your true identity affects every other area of your life- especially your sense of self worth and belonging (or lack thereof). I wish Nikki and her family nothing but the best and I hope she is able to get a final resolution regarding the will soon- not for the financial payout, but so that she can hopefully find a sense of closure and be at peace.
This is a podcast with all episodes combined to form a "book." Meh. Not that interesting. I found it difficult to empathize with the "heroine." I kind of felt like telling her that lots of people are abused. Looking for your birth family as a way to become a part of a different family doesn't seem like a great path to go. She was not willing to admin any financial motives, when clearly she had some. Her one daughter was clearly supporting her for the financial gain. It would have been interesting to hear the thoughts of Nikki's therapist, assuming she has one, regarding the issue of someone with dissociative identify disorder seeking to uncover a secret life. All the "players" in this story seemed dysfunctional and self-centered.
She chased after finding out who her parents were and found them. She discovers her father has alot of money. She wants to get to know him better but not about the money.
She claims she doesnt care about the money but spends years and most of her own money trying to right a Will.
Personally once I discovered who my parents were I would stop there. Especially when one of them didnt want anything to do with me and then the other dies before we developed a relationship. (Sorry that was a serious run on sentence. Cant you tell I am not a writer lol.)
As a child of abusive parents, this story touched a nerve. I also discovered a father and a half brother as an adult so I could relate to this story. The fact that Nikki Carlson’s biological family were so wealthy and powerful adds another level of drama.
This is a tale of how money corrupts people’s hearts. When someone is reaching out for a connection to a parent and they get rejected, it is heartbreaking. This happens all the time. it never stops being incredible to me that greed stops people from doing the right thing.
Interesting true story about a Minnesota woman who searches for her biological father, who is a rich aristocratic Italian. They never tell What her abuse was in her adopted family but she has PTSD from it. Knowing that I was ready for her to get her father’s fortune. But sadly, her life was always in a turmoil. She just wanted a family more than anything, but she ended up in a legal battle that never ended. It was sad. And her biological mother treated her horribly, even testifying against her in court. It was depressing. Not a fun audible.com Free read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a very interesting biographical account of one woman’s remarkable journey after digging into her past pre-adoption. While appreciate Audible publishing it, I found it way over produced for my liking. All the music, breathless explanations and multiple transitions took away from the listening experience. I actually emailed Audible to confirm it was biographical, and fiction. So, listen for the story, if you can brave the unnecessary drama.
A lot going on in this story but at the expensive of sounding judgey, all stress could have been avoided by letting that man rest in peace and letting the hounds fight over the meat. I feel for the daughter and I'm glad she found her family, but how much do they care for her if they are willing to let her suffer fighting with others over money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It was an ok audible listen. The mother (Nikki) really seemed like she wanted to make things right with her new found family. Her daughter on the other hand seemed like a good gold digger. She seemed to only care about what her Grandfather was supposed to leave her and what he had promised to leave her.
I enjoyed this book! A woman from an adoptive family searches for her birth parents. The story is not a story at all. Fact it is! Her journey becomes intriguing when she discovers her birth father is somewhat famous. Without divulging much more, the experience becomes a bit news-worthy and with a simple Google search, I was able to do some follow-up “research” on the story.
This has outstanding production, but I expect nothing less from an Audible Original. It sort of reminded me of Forensics Files because the story is told through a mix of narration and interviews, digging into the characters’ pasts. But it isn’t a mystery or an “unbelievable thrill ride” as the synopsis suggested, though. It isn’t bad, but I expected more suspense.
Definitely kept my attention. American Nikki discovers that her birth father is a famous and distinguished and wealthy Italian aristocrat. She spends years fighting to prove to the world that she is his legal heir. Non fiction. Fast read but the ending is very unfulfilling as you never learn if or what she inherits so I wonder if the case is still ongoing.
The worst Audiobook I have ever heard. An Abomination the whole thing is. Why was this even created?
I have listened to the first chapter right before bed and it succeeded in the goal in making me sleep. After that each chapter just kept on getting worse & worse.
I did not sympathize with anyone in this story. In fact, I hated everyone in it.
No. This seems to be a cross between a podcast and a biography but it does't cut it. Too little information about some things and too much about others. The story was interesting enough, but the production was confusing and left me scratching my head at many points. I am interested in stories of found family, but this one didn't cut it.
An interesting story but I feel like this is missing at least half of it (never mind that it’s still ongoing). The narrator is good, but I would have preferred to hear more from the interviewees and less from the narrator.
Oof. Couldn’t finish it. I’m so sorry for what happened to Nikki but her voice and the way she was more concerned about being jealous of her daughter than getting to know her father…. It turned what was probably an interesting story into a boring audiobook.
I thought this was a true crime book when I first clicked on it (I didn't read the description). I quickly found out that it wasn't. I continued to listen to it as I found myself intrigued with the life of Nikki/Mary.