The Secret Daughter

De: Forest Sounds

Narrado por: Ellen Archer

Many adoptees dream of discovering that their birth parents are royalty, celebrities, or aristocrats. It’s the stuff of fantasy. But what happens when it could be a reality?

The Secret Daughter is the tale of Nikki Carlson, an adoptee whose search for her roots sets her on an unbelievable thrill ride and emotional odyssey that forever changes her. Adopted as a toddler into a big game-hunting Minnesota family and raised on the flat prairies of the Midwest, Nikki’s life is wholly unremarkable. Haunted by the mysteries of her origins, once Nikki comes of age, she begins to search for her biological roots. What she uncovers is more surreal and twisted than anything she could have imagined.

Her quest to understand her origins brings her into the world of New York high society and then in an unforeseen turn of events, across the Atlantic and into old Italian aristocracy. She unlocks these pieces of information one painstaking step at a time, with people trying to block her path at every turn.

The man believed to be her biological father is an Italian aristocrat, a staple of European gossip columns who hosted Jackie Kennedy in Rome, was rumored to have romanced Princess Margaret, and in his later years, lived a secret second life with his much younger male partner.

When Nikki eventually connects with the man she believes is her biological father, things take a tragic turn: he’s just learned he’s terminally ill—which prompts a cast of characters in his life to stake their claims to his roughly €20 million estate.

Suspicions simmer around Nikki’s intentions, her timing and her place in the world of her purported father. What follows is a dizzying descent into deception, betrayal and high-society scandal. Throughout, questions swirl: Is Nikki a grieving daughter simply trying to connect with her heritage? Or is she a manipulative outsider exploiting an old man at the end of his life? Did this man want to leave her anything? Who did he want to have his riches and why?

There are accusations of fraud, whispers of art theft, and even suggestions that the funeral arrangements are a smokescreen to bar Nikki from the family. Tabloid photographers chase the story. Lawyers line up on both sides of the Atlantic.

More than anything, Nikki Carlson wants to know the truth about her origins. She wants answers and to deeply connect to who she really is. Will she unlock her true identity? Will she gain the resolution she’s sought her entire life?

The Secret Daughter is an unforgettable true saga that urges all of us to ask who we are and what it is we want.

©2025 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.

Very Dickensian story

It has an orphan an abuse very long court proceedings. Very convoluted history.
Good podcast presentor but overall it’s a bit mediocre.

How petty and vindictive some families are to each other!

What a cold woman the birth mother is to this poor woman!!! And Mary’s own daughter is a spoiled brat! Must have some of her grandmother’s genetics in her.

Fascinating topic

Riveting story illustrates the impact adoption has on children throughout their lives. I’m glad Ms. D’Urso pursued the truth. I hope she inherits everything

A STORY THAT HIT ME DEEPLY…. SO MUCH LIKE MY OWN STORY❤️❤️

I’ve never written a review like this before, but this documentary truly moved me. Nikki’s story mirrors mine in ways that felt uncanny. I’m 55 years old, I have never met my father, and I only recently discovered the truth about my heritage — Persian, not Native American, as I was always told growing up.

My mother kept my story private — even from me. She never spoke about my biological father, and I was left with silence and confusion. After taking a DNA test, I began piecing things together and eventually identified the man I believe to be my father. I reached out to him, gently and respectfully, but received no response. The silence has been deeply hurtful — more than I ever expected — and yet, I’m learning to carry it.

The emotional journey Nikki describes — the discovery, the rejection, the slow, hard-earned healing — felt so familiar. And strangely, two names in this story — Nanette and Ariana — happen to be deeply personal to my own life. That gave me chills.

If you’ve ever been on a journey to reclaim the truth of who you are, this story will stay with you. It’s raw, real, and beautifully told.

Intriguing. Couldn’t put it down

The authenticity and vulnerability and simple strength of the main character and the artistic character development in the writing are telling of this experience brought it home to me immediately

Unbelievable

I think I was so saddened by the lack of empathy from the birth mother. Nikki , was lucky to have not had a relationship with that women .

Fascinating story on family history

Surprise of family history and trust. A true journey into a family legacy . What ride of relationships

nikki

loved loved loved. poor nikki. I didn't like her mother at all. how could a mother do that to there own child

This is a great audible original

I wasn’t sure at first but so glad I listened to the podcast. She has been through so much and such bravery to keep moving forward.

Captivating

I loved Maria D’Urso tenacity and relentlessness to find her biological parents and who she really is and a family where she belongs.