The weather is starting to get chilly and wet, and there are fewer and fewer nice days to go play outside. While you may think that this is a great time to put in some additional hours of genealogy research, it is also a great time to find yourself an interesting genealogy – themed book to read just for the fun of it. If you are looking for an interesting diversion from researching and learning new techniques and strategies, then you may want to check out “Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA” by Richard Hill.
If Mr. Hill’s name sounds familiar to you, you may have read about genetic genealogy on his web site, DNA-Testing-Adviser.com. It is also possible that if you live in Michigan, you may have read an article about him in the Grand Rapids Press in 2009. That article covered the subject matter that would later become the basis for his book, his personal search for his birth parents using the internet and DNA testing.
It took Richard Hill about thirty years to finally track down conclusive information about his birth father. The search for his birth mother had been easier, but he did not give up hope when the search for his birth father took him to many twists, turns, and dead ends. Instead, Hill pressed onwards, using whatever avenues of research he could think of.
Whether you enjoy genealogy, mystery, or both, this book is sure to be hard for you to put down. It is not simply the tale of an adoptee searching for his birth parents, it is a well written story that brings readers along for the emotional journey that accompanies such a quest. People that have read Hill’s book say that it is very well written, and that it moved them to laughter at some times and tears at others. Some have even said that they found helpful research hints and tips hidden among the storyline. I must warn you, though, that many people find that it is the type of book that they just could not put down until they finished it. If you have a lot to do right now, you may want to reserve this book for a special treat at a time when you have a couple of days to devote to reading it and not doing much else.
Photo by rollingroscoe on morguefile.com.