While this is not the typical book you might think about reading to learn more about your ancestors, it can potentially tell you a lot about what they may have been eating, how it was prepared, and even how it might have been served. In addition to utilizing other books about the history of food Read More
Geneature
The Assassination of Jesse James, by Ron Hansen
The full title of this book is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the book does indeed discuss both men. It has also been made into a movie, which I have not seen (I almost always prefer the book!). Jesse James looms large in popular culture, even to this day, Read More
Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende
Although only about a third of this book takes place in the United States, it is still worthwhile to read, especially if you had an ancestor who lived in California during or just after the Gold Rush. The first part of the story follows the title character, Eliza Sommers, through her childhood and youth in Read More
1812 The War that Forged a Nation, by Walter R. Borneman
We’ve all heard of the war of 1812, but outside of the fact that the capital was burned by the British, we probably don’t know very much about it. This book discusses the issues that led up to the War, the political implications and realities, and also describes the strategy and outcome of the battles. Read More
All That She Carried, by Tiya Miles
/ A short description of this book is that it analyzes an heirloom. That is very far from doing it justice, however. The object in question has been dubbed “Ashley’s sack”, and it is owned by Middleton Place Foundation, which is a former plantation turned into a National Historic Landmark and museum. The sack is Read More
Ragtime, by E. L. Doctorow
The story begins in New Rochelle, New York, around 1910, but some of the characters in the book travel the world. The upper-middleclass family (Father owns a small manufacturing company) whose lives are described in the book are never named. They are referred to as Father, Mother, the Little Boy, and Mother’s Younger Brother. They Read More
The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes
As a bibliophile, I appreciate any book about books, or librarians. The setting is the Kentucky coal mining region, at the end of the Depression. The son of the owner of the local mine has married Alice, an English lass, and brought her back to small town Kentucky to live. When the opportunity arises to Read More
The Pioneers, by James Fenimore Cooper
This is part of the “Leatherstocking” series of books written by Cooper, and although it was published first, in 1823, it would actually be fourth of five, if you look at the series in chronological order. The other titles in the series include The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, and The Prairie. Read More
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, by Jennifer Chiaverini, and Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, by Lynda Jones
Yes, there are two books with the same title. While they cover much of the same information, they do so in very different ways. If you are interested in this time frame, I would recommend both. The book by Lynda Jones is published by the National Geographic Society, and restricts itself more to the bare Read More
Call Your Daughter Home, by Deb Spera
This book is set in a small town in South Carolina in 1924. It traces three women, of differing races and classes. The author does an excellent job of telling each woman’s story, in her own voice. While the women know each other, and occasionally help one another, they would not consider themselves to be Read More