NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLER“[An]outstandingdebut.“--PublishersWeekly(starredreview)Theaward-winningjournalistandco-hostofCBSSaturdayMorningtellsthecandid,anddeeplypersonalstoryofhermother’sabandonmentandhowthesearchforanswersforcedhertoreckonwithherownidentityandthesecretsthatshapedherfamilyforfivedecades.ThoughMichelleMillerwasanaward-winningbroadcastjournalistforCBSNews,fewpeopleinherlifeknewthepainfulsecretshecarried:hermotherhadabandonedheratbirth.LosAngelesin1967wasdeeplysegregated,andhermother--aChicanahospitaladministratorwhopresentedaswhite,hadkeptheraffairwithMichelle’sfather,Dr.RossMiller,amarriedtraumasurgeonandCompton’sfirstBlackcitycouncilman--hidden,alongwiththeunplannedpregnancy.Raisedlargelybyherfatherandherpaternalgrandmother,Michellehadnoknowledgeofthewomanwhosegenessheshared.Then,fateintervenedwhenMichellewastwenty-two.Asherfatherlaystrickenwithcancer,hetoldher,“Goandfindyourmother.“BelongingisthechronicleofMichelle’sdecades-longquesttoconnectwiththewomanwhogaveherlife,toconfrontherpast,andultimately,tofindhervoiceasajournalist,awife,andamother.Michelletracestheyearsspenttryingtomakesenseofhermixed-raceheritageandherplaceinwhite-dominatedworld.Fromthewealthywhiteschoolswhereshewasbussedtointegrate,tothenewsroomsfilledwithwhite,largelymalefaces,sherevisitstheemotionalturmoilofherformativeyearsandhowtheenigmaofhermotherandherrejectionshapedMichelle’sunderstandingofherselfandherownBlackness.Asshechartsherpersonaljourney,Michellelooksbackonherdecadesonthegroundreportingpainfulevents,fromthebeatingofRodneyKingtothedeathofGeorgeFloyd,revealinghowherstruggletounderstandherracialidentitycoincideswiththenation’sownongoingandimperfectracialreckoning.Whatemergesisanintimatefamilystoryaboutsecrets--secretswekeep,secretsweshare,andthesecretsthatmakeuswhoweare.
