Relinquished at birth to Catholic Charities in 1959, author Katherine Linn Caire chronicles the most unusual and remarkable story of adoption, unconditional love, and the serendipitous turns of events that did not involve DNA testing. In her heartwarming memoir, Accidental Sisters, Caire invites readers inside her personal journey from being adopted and raised by two loving parents in Des Moines, IA, and the series of events that followed. She adores her adoptive family and never considered searching for her birth parents. However, at age fifty-two, and the mother of three children a sudden pull to learn more about her medical history sends her on an unexpected journey.

She isn’t interested in learning her birth parents’ identities, just the details of their health. But what begins as a simple investigation takes a startling swerve when the social worker who sends the records fails to redact a crucial bit of information. Suddenly, Caire has more information than she bargained for. And to her surprise, she finds herself combing through vital records, researching every lead she can get her hands on.

When an Internet search results in a dead end, Kathe’s daughters present her with a birth mother search as a gift for Mother’s Day. What Kathe discovers transforms her. With each piece of information she uncovers, the mystery of her birth parents’ identities unravels a little more. But when her investigation uncovers a half-sister that Kathe never imagined existed, she must decide: open her heart and mind to a stranger who shares her DNA, or walk away without challenging her long-held beliefs about what it means to be part of a family.