Piece by Piece – A Genealogical Jigsaw was published in 2014 by Irene Lewis Ward. It is not a genealogical crime novel. It is the story of the discovery of the author’s grandmother’s true origins, completing a quest that her father had started decades before.
It was one of the books I read whilst “enjoying” my recent visit to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center here in Nashua. It also was one that had a strong impact on my such that I wanted to share news about it. This book reads like a mystery, but it is purported to be a true account of the author’s ancestry. And it ends with a finding that can only be described as amazing if true.
The bulk of the story takes place in North Wales starting in the late 1800s . The story grows out of an orphan’s desire to learn what his maternal ancestry was. Not because he doesn’t know who his birth parents were … but no one can tell him who his mother’s family were. His daughter, the author, picked up her father’s quest and after several decades was able to sort out the story. Unfortunately, all done before the time of DNA to provide evidence where a paper trail may never exist.
Yes, I recommend the book.
The story is about the ancestry of the author’s grandmother Elizabeth (Wynn) Lewis who was born in 1851 and died in 1891 after marrying Owen Lewis (1846-1888)
Even though the author was not a formal genealogist, she provided much family detail that a genealogist or historian could love. But the book cried out to have an associated, more formal genealogy as the details we genealogists love to see are missing. … just to help verify the story.
I am no expert in doing Welsh genealogy but I thought that a tree could be fairly quickly put together. In fact, I was able to compile significant parts of the tree on Ancestry in short order and much of what she wrote was easily verified… except, of course, the big reveal for which no paper trail likely exists.
But I did find significant issues with one part of the genealogical story and, although not likely significant to her case, did convert this “simple” study into something much more extensive.
Maybe it is my focus on one name studies, but as I was trying to fill out the 19th century Lewis family tree, I was constantly running into discrepancies both in her book and, more importantly, in many of the published trees of the Lewis family, even those by other descendants of this Lewis family.
Consequently, I have begun a study of the Lewis families of North Wales. I do not know where this will lead, but I am finding it an interesting learning tool for doing Welsh genealogy. And I invite others to join in this study.
It as a private Ancestry tree for now because it contains the spoiler… If you’ve read the book and are interested in seeing the tree, message me with your email address, and I’ll invite you to see the tree. If you are willing to be a collaborator on the study, I will be pleased to give you full editing capability. Corrections will be gladly accepted.
But please don’t ask to see if you haven’t read the book. Your message to me should include the reveal of who her father was. Ok?
