Inspired by real, hundred-year-old love letters.My great-grandmother’s name is bold across the cream envelope, now golden at the seams with age. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not the hasty scrawl of ballpoint.Alice Hirshhorn, Astoria Hotel, Seattle Washington.“Letters to Great-grandma Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers … Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers over the faded postmark and foreign stamps.
December 1915. Philippine Islands.
I turn the thick envelope in my palm, slide out the tightly folded pages, and unfold the thin paper, taking care not to tear the letters that were important enough to keep for a century.
My dearest Alice
“Great-grandpa was in the Philippines?” I ask.
“Oh no. Not your great-grandfather,” answers Grammie, her eyes twinkling with her mother’s secrets. “Elliott.”
~~~
At thirty-three and with her future unclear, Ali Waller finds her way home again. A box of long-forgotten love letters written to her great-grandmother holds the unlikely key to Ali finding her new path.
As she tracks down the letter writer and his descendants, Ali learns the magic of love, hope, and resilience.
Told by three characters, and across century and an ocean, Genealogy is an enchanting story about love and loss, taking chances, and embracing the surprises that life brings.
A twelve-question discussion guide is included, making Genealogy a perfect choice for your book club or a buddy read.
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When helping her grandmother sort through fifty years of personal items, a granddaughter comes across a stack of love letters written during WWI addressed to her great-grandmother. What I enjoyed most about this story was that it was so entirely believable. From the characters to the search for the author of the letters, it’s well-written and entertaining.
Not what I thought it would be but the story was plausible. A true genealogist would not like the method the author chose to explain an early relationship of the main character, Alice. Ali, the present generation was given letters received by her great-grandmother from her suitor. The letters become the sole evidence Ali uses to discern whether this suitor was her great-grandfather or not using dates and places mentioned in the letters.
The story is an easy read but slightly disappointing in character development.
After reading Genealogy.. I enjoyed it so much I followed up by reading all her other novels … great entertainment from a new author I’m following
Beautifully written, The changes of points of view and times were challenging but worth the effort
This book left me wanting more in all the best ways, and the ending left me with all types of feelings. It’s a sweet old fashion love story where fate/destiny plays a role (or at least that’s how I see it). Two different love stories separated by 100 years that share an amazing connection. The story jumps back and forth between the two time periods with POVs from three characters. Beautiful written characters with heart and soul. No overly dramatic, angsty characters, who don’t communicate, just real down to earth people. There was a minor discrepancy about the letters, one place Ali says they’re being scanned and bound and towards the end they just did e-files of the letter. I do wish the author followed through about the bounding of the letters had presented them to her family as she had originally discussed. I think it would have been an amazing touching moment in the story.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good story telling and Character development.
Based on real life love letters, this is an epic story of romantic love, devotion, loss, and family love. The chapters bounce back and forth primarily from WWI to the present, but there is never any confusion as to what time period you are reading about. It is a very clean and sweet book. I truly enjoyed it!
I did enjoy reading this. Especially the forming relationships in the plot.
Great read.
GOOD READ
Boring chick lit
Heart-warming, heart-breaking, captivating, I loved every beautiful word. No words I write will be able to explain how incredible this book is. From Alice & Elliott to Ali & Ben, I was mesmerized by this amazing story.
**I loved the narrator for the audiobook – perfect!
Contemporary meets historical – 3.5 stars
This was a unique book in that it meshed together historical and contemporary fiction. We follow Ali on her journey, as she is facing crossroads with her relationship and career, and her circumstances make her think about what she wants in life. During the beginning of the book, she finds letters to her great-grandmother. We get to peek into the lives of this woman, Alice, from a century ago, and a once-love of hers, Elliot. I liked how Ali was impacted by the letters she read, reflected on them, and used the lessons of her great-grandmother to help guide her in her future.
Not what I had guessed at all. Loved this story. I’m a fan of genealogy searches and the wonderful stories they reveal about family and friends in our wonderful histories.
Nothing like anything I’ve read before. Back and forth, the story from the past finding echoes in the present. Similar but different. Really good entertainment without bad language, sex or violence.
Historical fiction woven into a girl meets boy story. Good read. I enjoyed it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will read more books by her.
When Ali’s Grammie has to move into assisted living, Ali helps clear out and pack up Grammie’s house. In the secret drawer of the credenza, Ali finds a packet of letters written to her great grandmother Alice by a man named Elliott over a period of three years, during WW I. But her great grandfather’s name was Fred. So the story begins. One of the best things about Genealogy is that different characters act as narrators. Sometimes Elliott’s voice rings through his letters. Sometimes Ali’s voice introduces us to her life and family and friends and medical practice. And sometimes the voice narrating is great grandmother Alice. A wonderful book.
I really enjoyed this book. Not my usual type of reading. Really liked the look back at how different things were through the eyes of man.
To slow, and spent to much time in the past before getting to the plot