Tracing Roots

Reviewed by Philip Van Heusen for Readers' Favorite (Five Stars)

I have studied my family's roots for over sixty years and found Tracing Roots: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Your Ancestry by Penelope Green a wonderful resource. Penelope covers the topic well and gives amateur genealogists a fantastic roadmap to discovering everything they can about their ancestors. Topics include the benefits of genealogy research, how discovering your ancestry helps give you a sense of belonging, using family members to learn more about your history, what questions need to be asked, verifying information, using census and vital records, how to locate records, and many more. After reading this book, the reader is prepared to delve into the fascinating world of family history and develop a family tree that will thrill the family. Most records can be found online; however, many records will take old-fashioned visits to the county courthouse to dig through wills and other local documents.

Penelope Green gives readers a wonderful guide in Tracing Roots. Just like any map, sometimes there is much information that is not practical for the beginner. Penelope understands this and does an excellent job of keeping the language simple and advice that is easy to follow. She does not get deep into things like fourth cousin twice removed ascending but uses common language that encourages research that can be understood by all. Knowing where to find important documents is vital to a good family tree and Penelope explains what documents are available and where they are most likely to be found. Even after sixty years of researching my family tree, Penelope has given me some information that might help me unlock some dead ends. I have traced my family back to the fifteenth century and with Penelope's advice, maybe I can go further back. This is the best book I have found for the budding genealogist, and I highly recommend it to all who want to start learning more about their family's history.