Blue Bloods and Black Sheep

Every family tree has branches we celebrate—and branches no one talked about.

Genealogy has a way of surprising us. Follow your family tree far enough and you may discover distinguished ancestors, war heroes, community leaders and remarkable stories of courage and achievement.

But you may also find secrets.

Blue Bloods and Black Sheep explores one of the most fascinating—and sometimes uncomfortable—parts of family-history research: discovering the ancestors your family celebrated, the ones they tried to forget, and the complicated people who don't fit neatly into either category.

This guide helps you investigate and understand unexpected discoveries involving criminal records, illegitimacy, DNA surprises, difficult migrations, poverty and persecution, enslavement, slaveholding ancestors and other chapters of family history that previous generations may have hidden, softened or simply stopped discussing.

Just as importantly, it encourages you to approach those discoveries with historical context, accuracy and humanity—without glorifying the admirable, erasing the uncomfortable or judging people of another era without understanding the world in which they lived.

You'll also learn how to think carefully about privacy and ethics when your discoveries involve living relatives, particularly when DNA testing uncovers unexpected biological relationships or long-held family secrets.

Because the most interesting family histories aren't necessarily the ones filled with famous ancestors.

They're the ones that tell the truth.

And somewhere in your family tree, there may be both a blue blood and a black sheep waiting to be discovered.

Digital e-book • Includes PDF + EPUB editions • $4.99