How Generational Sagas Inspired a Genealogy Journey

May 24, 2026

በAI የተዘገበ

S. Zainab Williams reflects on how books like The Seven Daughters of Dupree sparked her personal ancestry research.

S. Zainab Williams, an African American and diasporic Southeast Asian woman, describes how generational sagas led her to explore her family history through DNA testing and records on Ancestry.com. She traced one branch to Richard Middleton and Elvina Crafton, her third great-grandparents, and learned details about their enslavement in 1860 Edgefield, South Carolina. Williams also shares efforts to connect with her maternal Malaysian side, including tasks for her mother to interview her 90-year-old grandmother in Singapore about Yemeni and Malayalam roots. The essay notes her appreciation for novels such as Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson as inspirations for understanding migration and lost histories.

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Nikesha Elise Williams debuts historical fiction on generational trauma

Nikesha Elise Williams' 2026 debut novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree, explores a curse stemming from the murder of an enslaved woman that haunts her descendants across generations. The story follows young Tati as she uncovers her family's hidden past, blending historical and contemporary narratives from 19th-century Alabama to 1990s Chicago. The book addresses themes of slavery, oppression, and the lingering effects of racial violence on Black women.

Authors Tracy Clark-Flory and Kate Schatz discuss pre-Roe unwed mothers' stories

April 25, 2026 በAI የተዘገበ

Tracy Clark-Flory and Kate Schatz, both Bay Area feminist writers, recently shared insights into their new books inspired by their mothers' experiences in 1960s homes for unwed mothers. Clark-Flory's memoir 'My Mother’s Daughter' recounts her DNA reunion with a sister her mother placed for adoption, while Schatz's novel 'Where the Girls Were' fictionalizes similar isolation and secrecy. Their conversation highlights research challenges, family traumas, and joyful sibling reunions.

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Upper Valley authors release books inspired by personal experiences

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Megha Majumdar discusses novel at Rollins College

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Jayne Anne Phillips releases memoir Small Town Girls

Ethiopian-American twin sisters reflect on heritage and conservation post-graduation

Twin sisters Ethni and Serene Amsale, Ethiopian-Americans raised in the United States, have graduated from the University of Delaware and are pursuing careers in wildlife conservation and environmental law. Their work draws on their Ethiopian heritage to advocate for vulnerable communities and ecosystems. In recent reflections, they emphasize the role of cultural identity in their global ambitions.