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A review by blogginboutbooks
Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton
3.0
As an avid genealogist, I'm always up for a book about family history, DNA, genealogical research, generational patterns, etc. so I was naturally drawn to ANCESTOR TROUBLE. I figured it would have a similar vibe to THE LOST FAMILY by Libby Copeland, which is interesting, entertaining, balanced, and above all, approachable. Not so. While they deal with similar subjects, ANCESTOR TROUBLE is more cerebral, more harsh, and definitely more angry. Newton spends half of the book talking about her family, both immediate and distant. The other half is a kind of here, there, and everywhere rumination on various aspects of genealogy. A big part of the former is Newton talking about her family's history of racism (she has slaveholders on both sides), which disturbs her greatly, and has led to guilt-ridden feelings of needing to reconcile and rectify her ancestors' sins. Although I disagree with the idea that a person's sins are anyone's responsibility but their own, I admire Newton's earnestness on the subject.
Although the book feels unfocused, I did find Newton's personal stories intriguing. Her family is unusual, which made them interesting to read about. I had trouble with the more scholarly bits of the book. Much of it bored me. I was literally holding my eyes open at one point to keep reading (which could have had more to do with not sleeping well last night, but still...). The way Newton presented this information just felt...distancing. Then came the ancestral worship section. I admit to being obsessed with doing genealogical research, but actual ancestor worship—at least as described by Newton—just feels way too woo-woo for me. All these things considered, I thought ANCESTOR TROUBLE was just an okay read. It presents some interesting information, asks probing questions, and could definitely lead to some intriguing discussions. For me, though, it just felt too angry, distanced, and unfocused. Plus, parts of it put me to sleep (literally).
Although the book feels unfocused, I did find Newton's personal stories intriguing. Her family is unusual, which made them interesting to read about. I had trouble with the more scholarly bits of the book. Much of it bored me. I was literally holding my eyes open at one point to keep reading (which could have had more to do with not sleeping well last night, but still...). The way Newton presented this information just felt...distancing. Then came the ancestral worship section. I admit to being obsessed with doing genealogical research, but actual ancestor worship—at least as described by Newton—just feels way too woo-woo for me. All these things considered, I thought ANCESTOR TROUBLE was just an okay read. It presents some interesting information, asks probing questions, and could definitely lead to some intriguing discussions. For me, though, it just felt too angry, distanced, and unfocused. Plus, parts of it put me to sleep (literally).