Illegitimately yours, Michael and Me: A memoir of secrets, adoption and DNA

by Catherine Taylor

The story of two siblings, two 'illegitimate' children bonded with love, ambiguous origins and a destiny determined to keep them apart.
Author Catherine Taylor takes time out from writing erotic fiction to relate her true-life story of growing up as an adopted child with her foster brother Michael. This often harrowing tale reveals their lives in the sixties and seventies, and through to Mother's Day 1985 when Michael suddenly becomes a 'missing person.'

In 2017, Catherine set out to resolve the facts surrounding her adoption by taking a DNA test. The results are not what she expects. An ambitious undertaking follows using genealogy records, DNA-matched relatives and the construction of a family tree of over three thousand people. As pieces began to fall into place, her search takes an unexpected turn.

While seeking an elusive parent, Catherine is vastly unprepared to receive news of Michael. The closed door of an unsolved mystery is suddenly thrown wide open and Catherine is faced with the aftermath affecting many more lives than her own.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2019

About the author

Catherine Taylor is an erotic thriller/romance author, actor, poet and script writer from New Zealand.
Her first three books from The Line Trilogy, have been in Amazon’s Top 100 bestselling erotica lists, with her first book The Finest Line going number one in Free Kindle erotica in the US, UK and France.
Catherine is an enthusiastic supporter of Indie authors, and believes that those with a true passion for writing should have every opportunity to present their work to the world.

Reviews

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book.

This was a beautifully written memoir. So interesting, and fascinating with all the genealogical research and revelations. This is quite a short review from me-but I really don't want to give anything away, so as not to spoil the read for anyone-there are just so many things going on, and many totally unexpected. I was totally immersed in this.

A gripping memoir of family secrets and lies, a tangled web, beautifully woven by Storm Catherine Taylor's writing. Photos are included, and an actual letter from her brother, Michael.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw, gritty, honest, compelling:
Taking a break from her usual genre (which I haven't read) in this story, the author writes of her childhood, the bond with her brother and the trauma and tragedy that stalked both her and his life was compelling from the first page. I was drawn into the story and couldn't stop reading. Beautifully written, Catherine writes honestly (with a splash of profanity) and endearingly of her normal family, one that was a far from normal it turns out, and her search for the truth. She finds that truth in stages and reveals that truth as the book unfolds. You walk with her and cry with her and laugh with her right to the end. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Kamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor writing style

Content was interesting but the writing was of poor quality. Author states she has written erotic fiction books. That isn't something I would ever read but maybe she should stick with them?

[TraceyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a journey!

I added this book to my reading list simply due to my interest in genealogy, dna and the search for unknown family members. A few pages in, I realised the book was much more than I had expected - half biography, half adoption/family history journey. The very first thing that caught my attention was that the author had grown up in my own city of Adelaide, making the locations very clear in my mind. Catherine’s story and her openness about the very personal and oftentimes tragic circumstances of her life caused me to shed more than a few tears for the vulnerable little girl growing up in situations that I found difficult to read about. The strength of the author to share this story, as well as her subsequent search for answers, was an eye opening window into a life that has turned out far better than you would have expected. It’s a heavy read at times, but definitely worthwhile if you are interested in real life family stories and adoptees seeking information about birth parents .

[Gloria Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir takes place in Australia and New Zealand. Storm was born to an aunt and adopted by her parents at birth. Still they went through the normal adoptive process. Before her, her parents had adopted a boy named Michael.

The home she was raised in was unorthodox at best, and her parents were heavy drinkers. The book is somewhat disjointed, especially in the first half. Eventually it gets better when she gets to the part about trying to find her birth father since her aunt first refused to name him and later gave a name no one could identify.

Storm grew up the younger sister of a brother, Michael, who always seemed to be in some type of trouble or another. He spent time in institutions that were later found to be inhumane to their charges. Michael suddenly disappeared one day and was thought to be dead for many years.

This is an interesting story though it would have been better supported by better writing.

[J. A. Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Storm" (love the name by the way) writes an interesting memoir on her early childhood and adult years before and after she learns of her adoption. Raised by kind parents, although seemed to me they were alcoholics, she learns she is actually the daughter of an aunt. While her parents drank too much, they still raised Storm to be independent and were always there for her and extremely supportive. After the death of her adoptive father, Storm goes about trying to find her birth father through extensive DNA investigative work. It's shocking someone didn't report her grandmother to some adult protection agency due to the hoarding and filth. Different time I suppose. This read kept my attention and I finished it in a few days.

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

DNA can cause grief and love

Taylor has written a touching genealogical memoir. Having had my own DNA checked, twice, I found a lot of relatives and three new first cousins and we interact regularly. I believe in what this uthor did, her research, her tenacity to know who her family was, the whole bit. With DNA, a can or two of worms are opened. Not all people want to know the familial tree, some are gutted without this type of information. Sometimes, a family line gets complicated, but I've not seen any family line that was perfect. No one is perfect. I felt the author's anguish in my heart. Five stars.

[Moona · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this poignant memoir, Catherine Taylor departs from her usual genre of erotic fiction to delve into her personal history. Raised as an adopted child, Catherine shares her bond with her foster brother Michael and their shared journey through the complexities of identity and family secrets. The narrative unfolds with Catherine’s 2017 decision to take a DNA test, uncovering unexpected results that lead her on a quest through genealogy records and DNA matches. As she pieces together her origins, Catherine confronts startling revelations about Michael, solving a long-standing mystery that impacts many lives.

[Tammy Horvath]

What if your brother went missing and you don’t know the identity of your birth father? Wow. What a life Storm has lived. She is a very strong woman. I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see the ending and what an ending it was. I can’t wait to read the next book to fill in some details. Just a side note, for those of you, like me, who don’t like curse words, there are a lot in this book. It doesn’t make the story any less impactful, but I felt the need to point it out since I usually read Christian books.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storm Catherine Taylor investigates the truth about her beginnings with the backdrop of a complicated family. Michael is her foster brother who she loved sharing their childhood and difficult weekly visits to their Grandmother and aunt.

Storm learnt that she was adopted but what this meant for her, her birth family and her adoptive family was often in conflict, as I suspect it often is.

The book was well-written and covers a lot of ground of missing people, adoption, prejudice alongside a more memoir style of a young girl growing up in Australia.

[Nancy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: set in Australia
page-turning family drama
family history research as a key element

Cons: narrator mostly not likable or relatable
too much emphasis on sex
narrator has challenges but her values are shaky
facts are not presented clearly—much confusion,
Especially about DNA results

I wanted to like it, but it was disappointing and needed more editing for clarity. Three stars minus.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out pretty good. Then it went downhill to meh 😕. I continue to read because I thought it would get more interesting. Sadly, it didn’t. I know this is an autobiography, and she certainly came from an extremely dysfunctional family that generally tends towards good reading material, but this one just didn’t do it for me .

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!

I can relate to wanting to know about your birth father. I've always known who mine was but I never met him. My mother was very open and honest about him but I still want to know if she knew about him kidnapping my older siblings and when did she learn that he wasn't divorced when they got married July 5 1942???
Families and their secrets!!!

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor tells a complicated tale of her adoptive family's relationships, addictions, brokenness, deceit, and secrets to hide the shameful truth. The last few chapters were of her research into her adoptive parents' family trees and the dysfunction, war, poverty, and abuse. The DNA piece was at the very end which I found the most intriguing. She discovered her true parentage and was at peace.

[Tracey Noe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good!

I enjoyed reading this memoir. There were a couple of places that were confusing for me, but it's still a good account of the author's life. It's very interesting to hear/read about other lives.

[S A CHILDS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read!!

Wow what a journey you go on reading this book, I didn't want it to end, Catherine/Storm's life has certainly been eventful and interesting. I only hope as mentioned there are more books to follow about Storm's life.
Would definitely recommend this book!!

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not feel authentic to me. The author grew up with an abusive family, neglect, and alcoholism. Yet despite that, her parents were awesome, her schooling was awesome, and her husband is awesome. That just doesn’t sound real to me. Alcoholic parents are not good parents.

So by the time I got to the end of the awesomeness of part one, I really didn’t care what happened in part two. She is awesome. Her kids and grandkids are awesome. Her life is going to be awesome. With that kind of feeling of unreality, I feel like there’s not much point to reading the rest of this memoir.

[Sniewinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about how family is family, blood or not. Love really does make the world go round, in good times and bad.

[Tobi Stansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you

Thank you so much for sharing this incredible story. As a fellow genealogist I understand the time and emotions involved.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting bio for half of the book. Last several chapters boring, delving into her genealogy. Did not finish.

[Terri Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting

This is such an interesting story. It truly is a small world and discovering where our place in it Is can be quite the wild ride!

[Cynthia Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible true story. I have recommended this book to many people. Thoroughly enjoy from beginning to end.

[Amanda Nally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Catherine Taylor, an acclaimed erotic novelist, will love this for its insight into her early years, including her own sexual awakening.
Fans of Australian literature will love this for its portrayal of a slice of life.
If neither is your genre, you’ll still love this book because Taylor’s true-life story has all the hallmarks of a classic mystery novel.
The story is filtered through the uncritical eyes of a little girl who thinks her family is normal.
And they almost are. A little girl who loves dolls, living with Mum, Dad and her adored big brother in suburban Adelaide in the 1970s, nothing could be more ordinary.
Michael and Me are a tight two in a contradictory world, whose search for clues to navigate the adult undercurrents ultimately leads to a locked drawer of her parent’s dresser.
As she grows from child to teenager, Taylor seeks to unravel the secrets of the past. Along the way tackling the taboo subjects of illegitimacy, sexuality, alcohol abuse and gang warfare – all with honesty and compassion.
Taylor’s is a family, which loved, not wisely but perhaps too well; a family where grief numbed by alcohol became the panacea for loss that too often follows love.
Illegitimately Yours could have been a tragedy but it doesn’t read like that. The story of Taylor’s life is buoyed throughout by the unwavering unconditional support from a family that, however unconventional, truly believes in love.
Beautifully written and a cracking good read.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Targeted Topic Memoir with Fantastic Immediacy

I have never read the author's fictional works because I don't read erotica. But I was completely transfixed by this nonfiction book that she has written about her life and her family. Right from the first chapter, she is able to create a picture in words that pulls you right into her life. We relive an important Christmas with her when she was a young child. (In fact, I wonder how she can remember her very young life in such vivid detail.) I've rarely seen such a well-written, targeted-topic memoir that details someone's life with such immediacy. Often in these kind of books, it feels like we are being told what happened through the lens of someone looking back and adding their own, older-and-wiser judgment. Instead, this author lets us discover along with her as she did at the time. Brilliantly done.

I received a free advance copy, but that did not affect my reviews.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.