No Finer Place
A Memoir of DNA, Deception, and Duality
“Deeply validating for anyone navigating identity upheaval and family rupture, No Finer Place is a narrative masterclass in finding the courage to rebuild self—an essential read for clinicians and clients alike.”
—Lyn Sommer, PhD, ABPP, CGP, past president, American Academy of Psychotherapists
“It takes grit, grace, and a thick Southern hide to dig into family roots. Michelle Tullier courageously tells a captivating tale of secrets and heartbreak. You might not be able to put this book down.”
—Harris Strickland, author of The Kingdom of Quail
“No Finer Place is a wonderful memoir for anyone drawn to quirky characters and compelling stories of personal reckoning, but it is a must-have resource after a DNA discovery for those looking to understand the internal experience of identity reconstruction.”
—Eve Sturges, MA, LMFT, author of Who Even Am I Anymore, host of Everything's Relative podcast
About the Book
Hyper-competent and unflappable, Michelle is one of those “I don’t know how she does it” women—the kind you don’t know whether to envy or pity. But when a seismic DNA surprise at midlife loosens her white-knuckle grip on life, she learns the hard way that checklists don’t heal and the only way forward is inward.
Michelle treats the discovery of identity-shattering family secrets as just another project to manage, thinking she can fool herself and others that she’s not falling apart. She travels from the craggy coast of Maine to the South Carolina Lowcountry, Atlanta, Savannah, and Louisiana’s bayous and Bible Belt, tracing her parents’ coming of age against a backdrop of the Great Depression, World War II, racial segregation, and homophobia. Michelle expects answers to unfurl like Spanish moss off a live oak or float to the surface of a Sazerac but instead finds she’s searching for all the wrong things in all the wrong places. No Finer Place: A Memoir of DNA, Deception, and Duality explores the universal longing to belong and our capacity to grow whole after life nearly breaks us.
Also available on Barnes & Noble dot com and thru indie book sellers.
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About the Author
Michelle Tullier (“too-lee-yay”) is obsessed with dogs, alphabetized spice racks, and the futile pursuit of understanding human behavior, especially her own. She is the author of nine self-help books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, 2nd ed., (Penguin, 2012). No Finer Place (Gatekeeper Press, 2026) is her first memoir, which she sees as finally putting her self in self-help.
Michelle holds a BA from Wellesley College and PhD in counseling psychology from UCLA and studied creative writing at Emory University. She is a frequent speaker and podcast guest in the global community of those with MPEs (misattributed parentage experiences) and DNA surprises. Michelle works as a developmental editor and ghostwriter for major publishing houses and self-publishing authors.
A native Atlantan, Michelle loves her snowy island home in Maine and spending spring mud season on a sailboat in the Bahamas.
Podcast Guest Interviews
DNA Surprises Podcast
Host Alexis Hourselt
Michelle Tullier’s DNA Surprise
Season 6, Episode 9
November 7, 2023
Family Twist Podcast
Hosts Corey and Kendall
Guess What? My Dad is Not My Dad. Episode 44 • June 13, 2023
Everything’s Relative Podcast
Host Eve Sturges
Michelle: It Was If My Life Suddenly Made Sense, Even Though I'd Never Thought It Didn't Make Sense
Episode 99 • September 8, 2023
Speaking
Untangling Our Roots Summit
Louisville, KY • April 2, 2023
and
Denver, CO • April 27, 2024
Genetic Identity Crises and Careers - How to Find Your True Self at Work
Atlanta, GA • March, 2026
Memoir Publishing: Demystifying the Process
Articles
Clear as Fog
March 7, 2023
By Michelle Tullier
“Are we related to anybody famous?” I asked my mother when I was about twelve years old.
I didn’t like that the answer was “No,” so I repeated the question until she walked over to our encyclopedia set and took down the volume for the letter L. Her finger made a quick skim of the index, and she flipped to the page covering Louisiana.
“Him. We’re related to him,” my mother said.