ABSTRACT
Each year thousands of people research their ancestral linkages to reveal their family trees. Those efforts often yield surprising discoveries, expanding the temporal and spatial extent of personal connections with past people and places. Alex Haley’s popular novel Roots 1 generated tremendous interest in personal history. The vast genealogical resources available on the internet confirm the increasing and enduring following of this open-ended activity. One can never ‘finish’ building one’s family tree. 2
