Customer Reviews

Finding Oprah's Roots: Finding Your Own

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This book is part genealogical guide, part celebrity biography, and part African-American history. Professor Gates has used the family history of Oprah Winfrey as an example of genealogical research and a case study of how education can lift a disadvantaged family out of hardship.

The written record of Oprah's ancestors only goes back to the 1870's census because the last names of slaves were rarely recorded. Here the author delves into the history of slavery in America and (to a lesser extent) in Africa. He also discusses the after-effects of slavery following the Civil War. The use of DNA to trace one's ancestors is also explained.

Although this book will appeal to persons trying to trace ancestors who were slaves, it is valuable to anyone getting started in genealogy. It's also an interesting story of a family who used education to leap beyond the expectations of those around them. You don't need to be a fan of Oprah to enjoy this book.

I purchased this book a couple of days ago -- I am a huge Oprah fan. I read the book in one sitting as I wasn't able to put it down. Finding Oprah's Roots expanded both my heart and mind. It is a history lesson and an emotional/spiritual experience. This is a positive and uplifting book even though truly looking at the facts of slavery is painful. Bravo to Oprah and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. I have heard Oprah's quote from Toni Morrison (Toni Morrison giving credit to James Baldwin) before, but when I read it in the context of this work, I openly wept. I highly, highly recommend this book for everyone. It is truly inspirational and has made me want to work on my Family Tree so I can "sit with my ancesters."

A "must read" for everyone who loves Oprah and/or genealogy. Contains a relatively brief yet detailed bio of Oprah's life, plus insight into the history of Afro American culture in our society and the problems one experiences in family research.

Fascinating book written by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that complements the PBS special of the same name. On the back cover Oprah says, "Knowing your family history is knowing your worth-- your whole worth"...and it goes on. I've done a bit of ancestry work on my father's family personally and I have to say it was amazingly rewarding. An easy to read 172 pages plus an appendix on how to research your own family is a nice contributon to any family bookcase. Gates uses Oprah as an example and explains how you can adapt his search for her roots to your own --starting with oral history. Oprah always says she consults her ancestors prior to any big meeting...and it was rather surprising to find out that her ancestors in Africa are not from the tribe that she thought they were. Plus she is part Native American too. Fun to see copies of the exact records and pix of Oprah's ancestors. Very inspirational.

Don't let the size of this book fool you, it is a tremendous book that has needed to be written for a long time. There are many guides and tools for researching roots, but this one, highly specialized to pre and post slavery sources is exceptional.

Why is it exceptional? 1) It documents a search. 2) It provides inspritation. In demonstrating a typical search (while Oprah is not typical, the search for her roots is) it shows the dynamics of the oral history, specific written records and the larger regional histories. It discusses the uses and limits of DNA.

The photos and documents are excellent. I like the way the full document is shown with the pertinant info blown up.

Everything Oprah does increases my respect for her. This search could have turned up reprobates and losers, but she didn't know that from the start. She approved potential embarrassment on an international level so that people could have this model... this encouragement.

I cried when I saw Oprah's South African school on TV. I almost did, like she did, when I saw the record of her ancestor's actual ownership.

I listened to this book rather than read it, and I found myself becoming very interested not only in Oprah's background but in mine as well. Interested in Oprah as someone who overcame great odds to become immensely successful, I checked out the tapes from the local library, and the more I listened, the more I became fascinated with the nature/nurture issue.

Who were Oprah's people? Who were mine? It was difficult to get accuracy because unfortunately slaves were looked upon as possessions of their owners, not people with names and identities. Nevertheless, Gates was able to provide a wealth of information for Oprah through record searching and DNA evidence. For instance, she had always thought she was Zulu, but extensive DNA investigation revealed that wasn't the case. She learned that she was 89 percent African American and 11 percent Native American. Orpah also discovered that there are several entrepreneurs and educators in her family line.

Although the emphasis of the book is on Oprah's roots, the author talks about new types of DNA testing and gives information about websites like [...] and the family history link on the LDS website. Gates warns the reader/listener that while finding out about one's roots is rewarding, it can also be tedious, time consuming, and hard work.

Gates' book inspired me, and I recently visited a family cemetery in another state. Fascinated by the history there, I'll be going back.

First time purchasing from amazon and very pleased with the price and the shape my book was in. I purchased the book to find more ways to search my family roots and the information i found in the book was more than what I expected.