Genealogy Books

Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: My favorite, my absolute favorite
Comment: I've been thinking about this, and I've decided this is my favorite book, at least my favorite that
I have read in the past 5 or 10 years.

It's pretty hard to say why, but let me give it a shot:
the way his writing conveys his affection for his near family and his ancestors without losing his
sense of humour about them. (Ian Frazier started out as a humor writer.) His beautiful descriptions
of the countryside he travels through, country you might otherwise think was much worth looking at.
His wonderful details about his family history make you feel like everyone's family is important.

Since I first read this book, I have developed a true genealogy fixation, trying to recapture the
feeling Frazier invokes in this wonderful book. I wish he would write more.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A must read for anyone who grew up in the Midwest.
Comment: This wonderful book reminds me of some of the best writing by E.B. White. Beautifully written, with
a gentle charm that invites you to explore the lives of the author's Midwestern ancestors.
Especially relevant for anyone who grew up in northeastern Ohio, as I did.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A complex, fascinating read
Comment: I loved the style of this book. Each paragraph is incredibly packed with meaning and information.
This book is history of the most enjoyable kind---the little stories that make up a person's life.
Through seeing the patterns of the lives of the author's ancestors, both recent and far distant,
we see patterns in history---especially religious history. We also see the history of small towns
in the midwest, and of childbearing and rearing, and of education. The most enjoyable part of the
book for me was the author's own nuclear family's tale. His parents are complex and very
interesting people. I am a fast reader, but this book was impossible to read fast---you really
have to slow and listen and enjoy it. Highly, highly recommended.

Customer Rating:

Summary: an absolute favorite of mine -- highly recommended
Comment: In this history of his family and of our country, the author follows the roads his ancestors walked,
studies the civil war battles they fought in, and the towns they built. Frazier does a tremendous
job of accumulating meaningful details, juxtaposing them in poignant ways, and writing charmed
sentences. Rarely does reading history move me to tears, this one did.

And I just realized this
is the same guy who wrote Coyote vs. Acme. The guy's got range.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Capturing Time
Comment: For me, the pursuit of "feeling history" began about 2 years ago. Since there is no such thing as a
time machine, I decided that the written word was going to be the only valid path to the past. This
was one of the great books in which I traveled, and what a pleasure to read! (I found it in
paperback on a sale table outside of Borders Books in Ann Arbor!) I would like to thank the author
for his efforts to also "feel history" via evidence left by his family. If you read this book,
you too will be able to capture a bit of history from someone willing to share it in a beautifully
written style.

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