Revelation: A Memoir of Deep Family Secrets, Discovery, and Identity

Richard (Rick) Gary Kaye’s intimate memoir is a riveting story about a devastating family secret his parents perpetuated for over 60 years. At a Jewish fundraiser, advertised as a fun “DNA Reveal Dinner,” Rick and his sister Randye, were shocked to discover they are, in fact, half-siblings.

Within 48 hours, they learned the man they called Dad was not biologically related to either of them.

Revelation takes the reader on Rick’s emotional roller coaster as he wrestles with deception, secrets, and lifelong memories now seen through a new lens.

A burning need for the truth about his paternal medical history and ancestry sets off a yearlong quest to uncover the facts. He and his wife Annette became obsessive detectives to painstakingly unravel the mystery of Rick’s conception and find the identity of his biological father.

Did Rick’s mother have an affair, was she raped, or was there another explanation? Those questions were just the start. With only the tiniest of clues but great perseverance, puzzle pieces began to connect, gradually revealing a secretive world of anonymous sperm donation in the 1950s.

Follow Rick and Annette on this fascinating journey and see how they ultimately solved the mystery that affected over 30 families and changed their lives forever.

Rick’s story was reported in the Wall Street Journal and he was interviewed with Randye in an NPR Podcast “Think Before You Spit: The Pandora’s Box of DNA Testing.”