Reviews for Genealogical Guide

The average rating for Genealogical Guide based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-08-05 00:00:00 Donna Budlong This is a special book, because the author, Celia Buchan Morris, is my mother's cousin. Her father and my mother's mother was Emelie Buchan. I don't know a lot of the family history beyond the statistics-my grandmother's name comes up once. There is some about "Grandma,"and her life in Galveston. The book was also about life for women in the 50's and 60's. Education and marriage, motherhood and work. Celia laid it all out, and I saw parts of my mother woven in and out of the story as well. My mother was about ten years younger than her cousin, and the commonalities and differences in their lives both starting in Texas, having the histories that they did. 2

Review # 2 was written on 2015-12-03 00:00:00 Matthew Volzer This book was nothing like I thought it would be. I was expecting a light-hearted memoir, but instead got a moving, poignant tale of motherhood. This author has a writing style unlike anything I've read before, and it took me awhile to get used to the cadence and tone of her writing. I struggled with it at first. But once I got attuned to her style, it became a much easier read. Yes, there are moments of hilarity. But there are also many more moments of despair, love, sadness, fear, happiness, belonging. As a mother of 3 boys very near in ages to the author's children, I could completely relate to the author's feelings of frustration, hopelessness, tiredness and yet deep, unending love for her children. The shock near the end was heart-wrenching (despite the fact that it had been hinted at, and I was half-expecting it), and I had real tears falling as I read it. I was quite moved. The descriptions of the northern English countryside and way of life were also very entertaining. I love British books, but so often they are set in London, and so I had never really read about this part of the country. It was a refreshing change. If you are looking for a fluffy, light read, this is not it. But this book is so definitely worth reading - especially if you are a mother - do give it a try. :)