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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I enjoy genealogy research and that’s what drew me to this book. The author used many historical references and details to bring the story to life.
This book explored the lives of members of a family from WW II through today. It was well written and engaging.
I loved this book and how they found out about their past. I am always trying to learn about my ancestors. A must read.
I didn’t want it to end!
Great read! Wonderful characters and great plot. Highly recommend!
Genealogy by Mae Wood proves that you can love two men at the same time. The timing just isn’t right for them. Eli finds beautiful love letters written to her Great Grandmother and it is not her Great Grandfather. It is a sweet story.
Slow moving.
I adore books like this and Mae Wood did a good job with Genealogy. I’ve had my eye on this for a bit after seeing the gorgeous cover coming across my social media platforms. Yes, there were things that were pretty predictable but I don’t mind that in books like this. This book is just about exploring our pasts and how it can impact our futures.
I do wish a bit that we had been able to read more letters. They were the best part for me and really added to this story but I did love that the letters from the past turned to emails between the present day characters. The words between Elliot and Alice were full of love and longing whereas the banter between present day Alice and Ben were fun and laid back. It was a good balance to show how times have changed in really a short amount of time.
At times I felt the book dragged a bit but all in all I think the story flowed well and it was a good read.
I liked reading a book where the main character didn’t inherit a B&B or is a super baker, chef, candy maker. Also, the female/male chatacters didn’t jump into bed at their first meeting!
The author Skyped with our book club, and she provided insights that made the book even more meaningful.
I am not a fan of switching back and forth from one time period to another. I did finish the book, and would only recommend to people who enjoy that type of read.
Great Novel. Such a wonderful blend of past and present. The characters were fabulous. The reader is especially drawn to Elliot because of his ‘Once in a Lifetime’ heartfelt love for Alice.
How awesome to have the letters that inspired you.
5 all the way Mae !!
I loved Genealogy…it is a bygone romance mixed with a modern day romance. Two time periods colliding. Mae did a fantastic job researching & connecting the two time periods. I wept over the loss that fate demanded. It’s a sweet book! Genealogy
Branching out of my normal read selections, Genealogy offers a star-crossed romance of two generations. This is a story you can recommend to your mother, grandmother and teenage daughter to remind them that your ‘one’ is not always who you think they are.
Genealogy is told in a dual timeline story. Think The Lake House or any Kate Morton fiction. We are treated to the story of Alice and Elliot as World War I is barreling down on them. Ali, Alice’s great granddaughter and namesake, discovers this lost love story as she is packing up her grandmother to move from her life long home. Through these letters Ali grows to learn more about her grandmother and the true meaning of sacrifice and love.
Ms. Wood’s story starts a bit like reading a history book as Ali dives into the love letters as we read along with her from Elliott’s POV. The cadence of the story is indicative of the formal tone in letter writing for the era. Until a fateful night where maybe a few too many gin and tonics, Elliot writes the letter that makes the reader engage with him and fall a bit in love with the love struck man.
At this point we return to Ali and her parallel journey of unrequited love – or so she thinks. Mae Wood weaves the dual timeline to introduce the reader to how modern technology advances in communication do not dim the hopes and dreams we have on a relationship. Or maybe that the concept of hiding behind a pen and paper can turn a casual acquaintance into something deeper.
Whether in the past or present, Mae Wood explores what time and distance can do for the heart. It’s Elliott and Alice or Ali and Scott, the reader experiences what those factors can impact a relationship. Or can you build something even stronger with time and distance? Only Ali’s true HEA can tell you.
Beautifully written story that weaves past and present together. It is a beautiful journey not to be missed from fiction lovers wanting something different but every present romantic.
Mae Wood is a wonderful talented author and this book is inspired. Literally, since it was inspired in hundred-year-old love letters that she inherited and discover several years later.
Ali Waller is a 33 year-old woman who is facing some doubts in her life and finds a box of long-forgotten love letters. She is obsessed about them and begins a journey that will be a self-discovering in the end. This is a book that it is best if you read it without any spoilers, you will savor the words, feelings and above all words.
It is wonderful that reading letters can still be so adventurous and imaginative since we are facing the modern world of internet and e-mails. I used to write letters to pen-pals and this book made me feel nostalgic and emotional about Ali’s journey.
I loved the premise of this book, finding a little piece of history and being absorbed by the story.
I thought this was beautifully written, taking you from past to present and back again through various viewpoints. We see the letters from Elliot to Alice in the early 1900’s as they maintained a long distance relationship having met and known one another for such a short time, seeing the obstacles in their way but also the strength of their feelings. I was swept away by the romance of it all.
I liked how the feelings the letters evoked in Ali in the present influenced her choices, how she decided what she was really looking for.
There were some emotional bumps along the way, a story of love and loss, of choices, and the power of friendship and knowing your own worth. A blend of contemporary and historical romance.
4.5 Stars
The moment I came across this story I knew that I needed to get my hands on it because it seemed like a story unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s hard to believe that I never read a book from this incredible author, but I now know without a doubt that I will be checking out her past releases because of her storytelling. Her writing is so addictive and I can only imagine what feelings her other books will instill in me.
Genealogy by Mae Wood was a brilliantly captivating tale that spans over generations and captivates our hearts and souls inside and out. I absolutely loved the emotion that this beautiful story captured and it was so hard to put this one down because I wanted to devour it, but of course life gets in the way and we can’t always do what we want. This moving story takes readers on a journey through the eyes of Ali as she discovers a romance between Alice (Ali’s great-grandmother) and Elliot from the hundred year old love letters she came across in her grandmother’s attic. Not only does the story go back and forth from the past (through the letters and flashbacks) and the present from Ali’s point of view. It’s was such a nice added bonus that I absolutely adored.
While there is so much more that I want to say about this story, at the same time I feel that this is the kind of story that needs to be experienced firsthand. Readers you are going to LOVE this phenomenal story and the journey you will be taken on. Get ready for to dive headfirst into Mae Wood’s one of a kind writing!
Genealogy by Mae Wood is a full length, standalone romance novel, a slow but deep burn story, a simply beautiful read.
Meet Alli Waller. She’s a doctor in her thirties, back at home and she becomes the owner of ols love letters. Her great grandmother Alice’s 100 year old letters set a chain in motion that will change her life for forever. These letters hold the key to finding her way in life and love. It’s astory across time and ocean, told by three characters, a captivating story about love, loss, taking chances and soul mates.
Alice and Elliott share a deep connection, she’ve known each other only a short time, but both are so so in love, it hurt to read about.
Genealogy is a captivating read. I was hooked from the beginning and I can’t express how much I love this book. I read it in one sitting, I had to know what happens to the characters. I strongly rooted for Alice and Elliott, and I will not spoiler here, but I wished for another kind of HEA. Don’t get me wrong, the story is perfect and the writing is more than excellent, only my romantic heart wished for them.
Genealogy is a heart-wrenching story and gave me all the feels. I laughed , I cried and at some point I was angry at the characters. I recommend Genealogy and give 5,5 stars.
I normally shy away from historical romance because I’m not interested in history, like at all. But when this book was announced, I was excited because the concept seemed so unique. I loved reading the letters that Elliot sent and seeing how different life was back before WWI.
There is so much that I loved about this book. The pace made me want to savor every chapter. I loved the glimpses in the past and Ali’s journey of learning about her great-grandmother and Elliot’s family. This book made me have all the feels and need tons of hugs. I wouldn’t call it angsty but there were so many unexpected turns that I ignored all other responsibilities just so I could finish.
*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*
This story dazzled me. It was warm and intricate. The look into turn of the century customs,
wartime problems and love stories was fascinating. Ali finds her Great Grandmothers love letters and embarks on a journey that changes her life. I sat down to start this book and suddenly it was
the end!! Seriously amazing. Well researched, beautifully written and quite touching.