This is a beautiful story of an Irish Catholic family over two generations; of love, secrets, and reconciliation; of what it means to be a family, and what it takes to remain one. Its plot is deceptively simple: Nora Rafferty’s son Patrick has died in a drunk-driving accident. In her grief, Nora calls her long-estranged…
Have you heard people talking about their membership in the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) or the Mayflower Society and wondered what it was all about? These are just two examples of lineage societies which are an important part of the genealogy world. According to the Lineage Society of America, “A lineage society is…
In this episode of our podcast we meet Becky, one of our library’s Bookies, a librarian who you can ask for a book, movie or music recommendation. You can find Becky and all our other Bookies at our library’s website. Recommendations in this episode: Movies Hunt for the Wilderpeople I,Anna The Dinner Books The Defense by…
The 3rd annual Lake County History Symposium, held at the Adlai E. Stevenson Home on April 30, focused on Immigrant Stories. Attendees heard about Polish Pioneers in Illinois, the experiences of a select group of families from the “Irish Hills” of Newport Township and the origins of the Lake County’s numerous Irish place names, and the William…
If you’re having trouble finding a marriage record for your ancestors, take note of a term called “Gretna Green,” which could help you expand your search and finally break through that brick wall. The term “Gretna Green” comes from the name of a town that was close to the border of England and Scotland. When…
In Elizabeth Strout’s slim best-selling novel My Name Is Lucy Barton (2016), readers were introduced to Lucy and her mother as they tentatively and tenderly reconnected after years of estrangement. In Strout’s newest book, Anything Is Possible (2017) which is a companion book to My Name Is Lucy Barton, the reader takes a stroll through the…
A new month means a new set of miscellany from around the web. See below for a great gardening resource, a podcast and an author profile. Gardening Guidance Spring is here and gardening is on my mind. That’s a first for me as this year is the first time I’ve had a place in which to…
Every genealogist, at some point or another, will need to use a map. A recent Legacy Family Tree webinar covered some online map websites with land ownership maps. The sites are worth knowing; put them in your genealogy tool box for future reference: Library of Congress has a Map Collection which includes maps and atlases. Atlases often have histories of…
Mohsin Hamid’s new novel is a poignant novel for these times. Exit West is a love story tinged with magical realism that offers a glimpse at the chaos and stress refugees endure trying to find a safe place to call home. Nadia and Saeed meet at an evening class in an unknown country that is…
Mary Higgins Clark and Anthony award winning author Lori Rader-Day talks about her latest book The Day I Died. We discuss the origins of the new book, writing troubled characters, professional handwriting analysis, and what got her into writing in the first place. If you like what you hear, check out one of Lori’s books…
