Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History by Katherine Scott Sturdevant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended by Lisa Alzo during a webinar about crafting ancestor profiles. This book was an answer to a question from the audience.
One of the messages I took from this book is "No one can contribute your part of the family history better than you can....Your personal memories will be lost unless you record them." As you expand your scope, "You are writing history into your family and your family into history." Sturdevant has eleven points for cemetery care guidelines and how to do citations for photographs. I never considered documenting family artifacts before if you are "...the family historian, the Keeper of Everything." She provides guidelines for writing your family history such as don't fictionalize and do write in past tense.
My only objection to this book was the number of imperative sentences that come after the imperative topic sentences in her lists, such as the list "Writing Family History Technically." Remembering the 18-item list is difficult enough, let alone even more points. I resisted when I felt micro-managed.
Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History is worth being a well-used reference and resource on the shelf of every family historian and genealogist.


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