Book Review: Reunion, A Search for Ancestors, by Ryan Littrell

Book Review: Reunion, A Search for Ancestors by Ryan Littrell

 

Often, genealogy books fall into one of two categories: how-to or historical fiction.  While I enjoy both, it was refreshing to find an author who was able to walk the reader through the hunt for ancestors, sharing the trials and tribulations we all go through as we chase our lines back through generations.

Mr. Littrell has a gift of merging words into sentences and sentences into eloquently described feelings—feelings that mirror mine exactly as I search for my own ancestors.  “And all around was the chance, like a ghost, that an ancestor has walked there!  This far west, this far north, some MacDonalds must have lived.  Maybe right here…”

From beginning to end, the author walks the reader through his proofs and disproofs of family legends, stories and records.  As he found a new item, my heartbeat would speed up, as if it were my own find about my own family.  The writing of these parts was moving and I enjoyed spending my time researching his family with him by reading his words.

If it were only this, I would have still loved this book.  But to elevate it to even a more amazing level, every other chapter was devoted to telling the Gaelic story of his MacDonald family in great detail, but written from that time.  I was able to learn about Scottish clans and old Scotland, by living it in the stories woven by the author.  I thank him for lending me his grandfathers before him and allowing them all to weave a tale for me that makes me imagine my own Scottish grandfathers’ lives.

You can find this book on Ancestry in a paperback or Kindle version.

http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Search-Ancestors-Ryan-Littrell/dp/098834100X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367540116&sr=8-1&keywords=ryan+littrell

Disclosure:  Ryan Littrell sent the author of this article two copies of this book to review—the Kindle version and a paperback version.  However, I will share that I have purchased two paperback copies of my own to give as gifts.  And I may order a third for another birthday coming up!

Dinner Party in Heaven

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berlin-_Dinner_table_at_dance_room_in_the_Mitte_-_2664.jpg

The other morning as I was driving to work in traffic, I remembering the presentation I gave for the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society.  I was thinking about other presentations I could do for a smaller group that I’m in and I thought of the Pioneer Corps of the Civil War.  I want to learn more about them, so why not also do a presentation?

Then my mind wandered (as it often does…).  I considered my grandfather from the Civil War, Miles Price-- how much I know about him and how I could give a whole presentation about him in general.  Then I wandered in my head to what I DON’T know about him.  Then it wandered to Dad and I working together to learn more about him.  Then it wandered to Dad-- as most things do.

I was pondering what happens After.  Is there an After?  If there is, what do I want it to be?  So then I planned a Dinner Party in Heaven.  If I can just decide what is After, I’m deciding that it’s all my ancestors at my beck and call.  I will throw a dinner party, featuring a long table with towers of cheese (my favorite food), bottles of wine, and all kinds of delicious delicacies.  I sit at the head of the table (it is MY heaven, afterall).  To my right is my dad and to my left is Miles Price.  Dad and I have our heads close together, balanced on our hands in rapture with Miles’ voice.  As if engulfing our minds of all he is telling us makes our heads too heavy to hold up without our elbows’ support.

Miles will acquaint us with his childhood in Pennsylvania.  Who he lived with, what happened to his parents, the names of his parents.  Miles will talk of his trip from Pennsylvania to Illinois. When it was, who he traveled with, how they traveled.  He will tell us of meeting his wife, of his first born child, his political views.  Miles will share the FEELINGS he had during his time in the Civil War.  We know what he did and where he went.  Until he shared those stories, we didn’t know how he felt.  He will let us know he was glad to be chosen for the Pioneers.  Or maybe he wasn’t.  He will recount us of his time spent in the makeshift hospital on train cars while suffering the measles.  He will let us know his most prideful times.  His embarrassing moments.  He will reveal what it was like to leave Illinois to make his home in Iowa.  Then he will hint of his daughter, my second great grandmother.  What she was like as a child.  She will be to his left at my dinner table, smiling at his words that she’s heard so often.  I’m not ready to hear from her yet—I’m devoted to her father for now.  Her time will come, so for now she smiles a lovely smile.

Miles will spill the beans about how the names of his children were chosen.  Who they were named for, why.  He will  everything, until we know Miles as we know ourselves.  It’s only then that I can change positions to focus on another ancestor.  Perhaps his daughter, Hattie.  Perhaps other faces at the table will become more clear and my focus will be shifted at my Dinner Party in Heaven as it is on my genealogy on earth.

Maybe I will see my maternal second great grandmother, Laura Wilkinson.  I have some questions for her about her life, too.  Perhaps I will notice down at the end is my second great grandfather, husband of Hattie.  I can give him a hug and a kiss.  He remembers me from that time we met when I was two years old.  My great grandfather is to my Dad’s right, with his wife and my two grandmothers next to her.  They all knew each other and are talking amongst themselves until it’s their turn.

My Dinner Party in Heaven will be wonderful and may be so long that turn into my Breakfast Party in Heaven… days later.  I think I’ll start mapping the seating arrangements and planning the menu.

Jack, My Pumpkin Cat

Jack was our 17-year-old.  Our cat from Oregon.  We picked him out on Dad’s Mountain one Thanksgiving trip and brought him home as little cat.  He grew into a great big fat cat and amused us for many years.  Jack wasn’t the smartest of cats.  His inbreeding showed through in his slight naiveté and propensity to vomit when he could see the white at the bottom of his food dish.  But he was my Pumpkin, so nicknamed for being my Thanksgiving Kitten.  He was my purring cat who followed me into the bathroom every single morning.  I’d pet him and he’d purr.  He’d sit on the toilet for petting while I brushed my teeth and then he’d join me in the kitchen for his breakfast while I made my coffee. We’d go our separate ways after this, until later when we’d meet back up.

Jack liked to vomit.  Much and often.  Through his life, this was his hobby.  Vomit and purring.  He also liked to lick when getting scratched.  Lick lick lick.  STOP LICKING ME! I’d yell at him in frustration.  And then I’d pet him some more and he’d contain his licking for a bit. 

Jack slept for at least half his night each night with his ass curled into my stomach.  He didn’t like to be held there or cuddled.  Just his ass, my stomach.  And purring and licking. 

Over the past year, Jack lost a lot of his fat. Rather than people laughing at him, they just thought he looked normal. I knew it was old catness, though.  Last weekend, his stomach got big and hard. He acted normal, but he couldn’t be.  His stomach looked like he had a litter of unmoving kittens.  Last night he wandered a lot.  He was with me, with William, with Jones. 

This morning, I asked Marc to take him to the vet.  Marc thought he was constipated (he also has a propensity for this), but I knew it wasn’t.  I knew it was bad.  This was my living link to Dad’s Mountain and I knew it was over and that it was time to say goodbye.  Which I did last night while we listened to the thunder and this morning in the bathroom during our morning time together.

Rest in Peace, Jack.  Grampa has a lap and a pain-free petting hand waiting for you. 

I Was A Genealogy Speaker!

My local genealogical society, Livermore-Amador GenealogicalSociety, asked two of us to be speakers for the May meeting.  The topic was Self-Publication Process.  Jane Southwick and I both have books that we wrote, but we both went about publishing two different ways.  The gist of our presentation was showing the audience two different routes to get to the same end result (although Jane’s was much nicer looking!).

I enjoyed speaking and I have to say that I felt like I was in my living room talking to family.  It’s such a warm, loving, supportive group and I love sharing with them.  Jane did a terrific job sharing how she worked with Stories to Tell Books.  What most impressed me about Jane was her speaking style.  She used a full written speech, but didn’t read it.  She was just wonderful with eye contact and clear speaking.  I was very proud and in awe.  Top that off with the amazing book she wrote and all I can say is that she is my hero.

The editor of our newsletter, Roots Tracer, asked Jane and I to write an article of our speeches for those that don’t attend.  Once I do that, I will link to it here.

Here are Jane and I speaking: