Inconceivable Truth - by Matt Katz (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A gripping true story of one man's journey through the endless incarnations of paternity, identity, and the very notion of family

When award-winning investigative reporter Matt Katz discovers that he bears no relation to the man he has always considered his biological father, he is thrust into a world of unknown half-siblings, a surprising new ethnic identity, the invisible magnetism at play in familial love--and what it all means for the rest of us.

In Inconceivable Truth, Katz traces the evolution of how human beings are both created and related, beginning with the conception of the first ever "test-tube baby." The uncovered truths of his own family history intertwine with the stories of countless other families and their revelations, equal parts moving, funny, shocking, sad, and evocative of this moment. With the family trees, census records, high school yearbooks, and endless other documents amassed on Ancestry.com and 23andMe, genealogical secrets are just a few clicks away. Sometimes those secrets are life-shattering--but they can also be family-building.

Katz navigates the shifting boundaries of paternity, fertility, and identity, exploring the mysterious pull to and from family and the emotional murkiness that churns up as a result. Inconceivable Truth wrestles with the ethical and spiritual questions surrounding DNA: Which personality and physical traits are embedded within us, rather than springing from free will or upbringing? What is the cosmic draw among kin, and when doesn't it matter at all? When deadbeat parents fail to do their part, what is lost--and can anything be gained? Through incisive, thorough reporting, compelling narrative storytelling, and an openness to the unknown, this book brings us one step closer to understanding our history, our families, and ourselves.

About the Author

Matt Katz is an investigative reporter, journalist, author, and podcast host who has worked in newspapers, magazines, TV, and audio for more than two decades. His journalism has been featured in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Politico, and NPR. In 2024 he produced an autobiographical podcast, Inconceivable Truth, about his investigation into how he was conceived and his search for his biological father. The eight-part series hit the Top 10 on the Apple Podcasts charts, won a Webby Award for documentary podcasts, and was named one of the best podcasts of the year by Vogue.

Katz won a Peabody Award for investigative stories about former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and his 2016 book about Christie, American Governor. He is now executive producer of City Cast Philly, a daily news and culture podcast and newsletter in Philadelphia, and an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Pennsylvania.