Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist [Paperback]

Buzzy Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2010

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? ”

As a historian, Buzzy Jackson thought she knew the answers to these simple questions—that is, until she took a look at her scrawny family tree. With a name like Jackson (the twentieth most common American surname), she knew she must have more relatives and more family history out there, somewhere. Her first visit to the Boulder Genealogy Society brought her more questions than answers . . . but it also gave her a tantalizing peek into the fascinating (and enormous) community of family-tree huggers and after-hours Alex Haleys.

In Shaking the Family Tree, Jackson dives headfirst into her family gene pool: flying cross-country to locate an ancient family graveyard, embarking on a weeklong genealogy Caribbean cruise, and even submitting her DNA for testing to try to find her Jacksons. And in the process of researching her own family lore (Who was Bullwhip Jackson?) she meets legions of other genealogy buffs who are as interesting as they are driven—from the boy who saved his allowance so he could order his great-grandfather’s death certificate to the woman who spends her free time documenting the cemeteries of Colorado ghost towns.

Through Jackson’s research she connects with distant relatives, traces her roots back more than 250 years and in the process comes to discover—genetically, historically, and emotionally—the true meaning of “family” for herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her new book, Jackson (A Bad Woman Feeling Good), inspired by her background studying American history and the recent birth of her son, tracks her family genealogy and takes the reader along for the ride. Before she can learn who her ancestors are, Jackson must learn the ins and out of genealogy, which she does by attending seminars, joining a local genealogical society, learning from the field's experts and, yes, going on a genealogy cruise. In conversational and witty prose, she conveys not only how much fun she is having but also what she is learning. But genealogy culture is just half of the story, the other half being Jackson's search for her family tree. While her quest starts innocently enough as she reaches out to her mother and father soon she finds herself embarking on a series of quirky adventures like looking for lost graveyards, hanging out with Mormons, going to her high school reunion, and finding out the Confederate South still exists. Thankfully, Jackson is a skilled writer, and the fun she has trying to find her dead kin is nicely balanced with the touching reconnections she makes with her living relatives.
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From Booklist

This handbook combines a friendly introduction to genealogical research with a memoir about how the author came to be interested in bridging the gap between her ancestors and her progeny. Throughout the book, Jackson exudes appreciation for the institutions that enable her research—genealogical organizations, libraries, historical societies, official repositories, and family members (several of whom she first met in the course of her research). A historian and a writer, Jackson packs an amazing amount of information and advice into small, pithy paragraphs: photograph the documents, she tells the reader; analyze them later. Let relatives interview each other. Consider DNA testing but understand what it actually tells you. Although the scope of Jackson’s research may be impossible for many others—she took a genealogy cruise, traveled extensively to remote sites, and audited a class on DNA testing—her descriptions of the process and the people she met will prove fascinating to everyone with an interest in tracing their family backward. Recommended both for those actively involved in genealogy and for those considering becoming involved. --Sally Jane

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Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439112991
• ISBN-13: 978-1439112991
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Buzzy Jackson is the award-winning author of the nonfiction books "A Bad Woman Feeling Good: Blues and the Women Who Sing Them" (W.W. Norton: 2005), "Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Blood, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist" (Simon & Schuster: 2010), and the novel "Effie Perine." She is a Correspondent for the Boston Globe and writes for magazines and online publications.

Buzzy grew up in Truckee, California and in Montana, but since then she's lived in Los Angeles, Perth, Australia, New York City, San Francisco, Barcelona, Spain, Oakland, Boston, and Berkeley. She has worked as a radio DJ, sandwich-maker, tennis hostess, NATO HQ tour guide, literary assistant, museum docent, ESL teacher, caterer, historical researcher, and college professor, all of which led her to Colorado, where she now lives with her family. The secret of how she got her nickname is hidden inside her book, "Shaking the Family Tree."