Family Twist: A Podcast Exploring DNA Surprises and Family Secrets

The Genetic Sexual Attraction Nobody Talks About

Send us Fan MailGenetic sexual attraction is one of the most difficult and misunderstood possibilities that can emerge after biological family reunion. For decades, Monica Hall rarely spoke about her own experience with it.In part one of this special two-part Family Twist conversation, Monica returns alongside filmmaker and fellow adoptee Kristal Parke. Their friendship began after Monica learned about another Cree adoptee in Canada and decided she needed to find her. One Facebook message and an hour-long phone conversation later, a friendship had begun.Eventually, that friendship became something neither of them expected: Kristal started making a documentary about Monica’s life.The film gives Monica an opportunity to talk about parts of her story she previously wasn’t ready to share publicly, including a relationship with a man she learned was her half-brother. Monica speaks openly about genetic sexual attraction, the intensity of that relationship, the shame she carried afterward and why she kept it largely secret for decades.She also discusses addiction and sobriety, the grief that came when the relationship ended, and the very different perspective she has on that period of her life today.Kristal has her own difficult role in telling the story. She isn’t interviewing a stranger. Monica has become one of her closest friends. Kristal talks about moving between filmmaker and friend, knowing when to ask another question and making sure Monica remains comfortable with what ultimately appears on screen.There are plenty of laughs, too. Monica has accumulated decades of archival footage, old interviews, home movies and other surprises that she turned over to Kristal for the documentary. Some of those surprises were considerably more personal than Kristal anticipated.In this episode:Monica speaks openly about genetic sexual attraction after biological reunionWhy she kept the relationship secret from most people for decadesThe shame and grief she carried after it endedHow addiction and sobriety intersect with this period of her lifeWhy she can talk about the experience now when she couldn’t beforeHow Monica and Kristal became friendsWhy Kristal decided Monica’s life should become a documentaryThe responsibility of filming someone you also love as a friendWhat decades of Monica’s archival footage bring to the filmWe’re also relaunching Monica and Kristal’s original Family Twist episodes so listeners can hear their individual stories.Then join us next week for Part Two, when the conversation turns to another bond between Monica and Kristal: their shared Cree heritage and what it means to reconnect with Indigenous identity after adoption.Remember, family secrets are the ultimate plot twist.Support the show

When Adoptive Parents Stop Talking and Start Listening

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when adoptive parents enter adoptee spaces and hear things that are difficult, angry or painful?Charlyn Spiering doesn’t believe the answer is to get defensive. She believes it’s to listen.Charlyn is the host of Adoption Uncovered and the mother of five children, both biological and adopted. She joins Corey and Kendall for a candid conversation about raising adopted children, talking openly about first families, respecting the parts of an adoption story that belong to the adoptee, and recognizing that even well-intentioned parents are going to make mistakes.Charlyn shares her family’s experience raising Aaron, her son adopted from India, and the effort to incorporate Indian culture into their family without claiming his identity or story as their own. She also discusses Aaron’s feelings about potentially visiting India and connecting with his first mother, including an important reality that sometimes gets lost in adoption conversations: not every adoptee wants the same kind of reunion or relationship.That opens up a fascinating conversation with Kendall about his own childhood. Kendall always knew he was adopted, but as a kid he still identified with the Native American heritage of his adoptive father. That connection wasn’t biological. It came from the man who raised him and the things they loved together.Charlyn also has a family discovery of her own. She was in college when her father revealed that she and her brother had Jewish ancestry, something previous generations had deliberately kept quiet. Years later, DNA testing helped uncover more of that missing family history.Corey, Kendall and Charlyn also get into closed adoption, searching for biological family before consumer DNA testing existed, disability and international adoption, the complicated question of first-family contact, and why adoptive parents need to make adoption something their children can actually talk about.And because this is Family Twist, the conversation eventually includes Indian food, homemade potato pancakes, Billie Eilish, K-pop, Spotify playlists and the music our parents and children use to let us into their worlds.Charlyn says something during the episode that sums up her approach to entering adoptee spaces:“I want to learn. I’m not here to tell you stuff.”Sometimes listening is the most important part of the conversation.Listen now to Family Twist and hear an adoptive parent, an adoptee and two podcasters get honest about adoption, identity, culture and who gets to tell the story.Remember, family secrets are the ultimate plot twist.Support the show

Little Mister Victory: Solving an 80-Year Family Mystery

Send us Fan MailA baby abandoned on one of America's most historic days. A mystery that lasted nearly eighty years. Could modern DNA finally reveal the truth?On August 15, 1945, while crowds filled Boston Common celebrating the end of World War II, a young woman handed her infant son to a teenage newsboy, slipped him a few dollars, and disappeared.That baby grew up to become Tina Drzal's father. For decades, his family knew only fragments of the story. Who was his mother? Why did she leave him? Did she ever try to find him? And what happened after that unforgettable day?Joining Corey are Tina Drzal and Boston historian David Kruh, co-authors of Little Mister Victory. Together, they combined newspaper archives, historical records, DNA testing, and years of detective work to reconstruct one of the most remarkable adoption stories we've ever featured.This conversation explores: How one newspaper article restarted a decades-long search  Using DNA to solve an adoption mystery from World War II  The emotional impact of inheriting unanswered questions  Why family secrets continue to echo across generations  The surprising discoveries that completely changed the investigation  How compassion can reshape the way we view difficult decisions from the past Whether you're an adoptee, an NPE, a genealogy enthusiast, or simply love an unforgettable true story, this episode is a fascinating reminder that history is never as distant as it seems.Learn more about Little Mister Victory at littlemistervictory.com.Support the show

The Film Every Adoptee Should Know About

Send us Fan MailMost movies treat adoption, donor conception, or DNA discoveries as a plot twist. Then the credits roll. But for the people living these stories, that's when life actually begins.Writer and director Jason Mullis wanted to tell a different kind of story. Before writing Myth of the Ghost Kingdom, he spent months listening to adoptees, donor-conceived people, late-discovery adoptees, NPEs, and others whose lives had been shaped by family secrets and unexpected DNA discoveries.The result is a film that doesn't simply ask, "Who are your biological parents?"It asks the much harder question: Who are you after the truth changes everything?In this episode, Jason joins Corey and Kendall to discuss: Why authentic representation mattered from the very beginning  What he learned from the adoption and DNA-discovery communities  The responsibility of telling someone else's story  Why identity can be more powerful than any fictional plot twist  How family secrets continue to shape generations  What he hopes audiences take away from Myth of the Ghost KingdomWhether you're adopted, donor conceived, an NPE, or simply someone who's ever questioned where you belong, this conversation is a reminder that the most compelling stories are the true ones.About Jason MullisJason Mullis is the writer and director of Myth of the Ghost Kingdom, an independent feature film that follows a woman who discovers as an adult that she was adopted and begins searching for the truth about her identity. The film was developed with extensive input from members of the adoption and DNA-discovery communities, bringing an uncommon level of authenticity to a story about family, identity, and belonging.Support the show

When the Reporter Becomes the Story

Send us Fan MailFor years, Louise McLoughlin built her career telling other people's stories. Then she uncovered one she never expected: her own.After learning she was donor-conceived, Louise set out to understand not only her biological origins, but the larger world of donor conception, family secrets, and identity. That journey led her to create the acclaimed documentary podcast You Look Like Me, where she gave donor-conceived people a platform to tell the stories that so often go unheard.In this episode, Louise joins Corey and Kendall to discuss: Discovering she was donor-conceived  Finding her biological father and a growing number of half-siblings  Why donor-conceived people often feel the search is never truly over  The emotional reality behind DNA discoveries  Why media coverage of donor conception often misses the point  Balancing journalism with personal experience  The importance of transparency, identity, and the right to know where you come from This conversation is about much more than DNA. It's about what happens when the person asking the questions suddenly becomes the story.About Louise McLoughlinLouise McLoughlin is an award-winning journalist and creator of the documentary podcast You Look Like Me, which explores donor conception, identity, and family through deeply personal storytelling. Her work has helped bring greater visibility to donor-conceived voices while challenging how these stories are covered in the media. Support the show