RLP 397: What Genealogists Can Learn from Colum McCann's "TransAtlantic": Writing Family History

The episode opens with Diana and Nicole catching up on their latest work, focusing on testing AI models for accuracy in handwritten-text transcription tasks. The hosts then discuss the novel TransAtlantic by Irish author Colum McCann and what family historians can learn from its structure to write better family narratives. Diana explains that the novel views the immigration story from the Irish perspective, following the fictional character Lily Duggan and three subsequent generations, with the prose connecting each fictional character to a true story and an actual historical figure. Nicole shares the first historical snapshot, covering Lily Duggan's 1845 meeting with the formerly enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Ireland. She then details the 1919 Atlantic crossing of Lily's daughter Emily and granddaughter Lottie, where they witness the first non-stop transatlantic flight by aviators Alcock and Brown. Diana picks up the thread by discussing Lottie's later meeting with US Senator George Mitchell during his 1998 peace brokering visit to Northern Ireland, and the final chapter, where Lily's great-granddaughter, Hannah, possesses the unopened letter that connects all the women. Listeners learn three key ideas for writing their own family stories: use a focal object passed down through generations, consider historical characters an ancestor may have encountered, and research important historical events in the time and place their ancestors lived to understand how those events may have impacted them.

This summary was generated by Google Gemini.

Links

What Genealogists Can Learn from Colum McCann's "TransAtlantic": Writing Family History - https://familylocket.com/what-genealogists-can-learn-from-colum-mccanns-transatlantic-writing-family-history/

TransAtlantic: A Novel, by Colum McCann - https://amzn.to/3Z0KBDI (affiliate link)

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Research Like a Pro Resources

Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer

Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/

Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d

14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/

Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/

Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/

RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/

Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/

Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources

Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx

Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/

RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/

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