A year ago I review True Miracles with Genealogy: Volume II. However, I never got around to reviewing the first volume, True Miracles with Genealogy: Help from Beyond the Veil. So, in proper genealogical order – start with the most recent and work backwards through time – here are the details and my thoughts for the first book.
Just like Volume II, this first books is a Chicken Soup for the Soul styled inspirational collection of stories specifically compiled for the family historian. Like other inspiring books, this tome is meant to help motivate and rejuvenate one’s desires, one’s passions, one’s willingness to continue with renewed strength and aspirations, and sometimes even convince someone to step outside their comfort zone and find rewards in new challenges. In other words, when you have absolutely had enough with your genealogy, this book can boost your spirits enough to keep going.
True Miracles is a collection of 51 heart warming stories of success and rewards every day people have experienced in working on their family history. The miracles described in these stories will “comfort and fascinate” those who believe. Most, if not all, of these stories were submitted my members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the LDS church or Mormons as they called). Some of the stories refer to experiences had within Mormon temples. However, these stories can, and will, inspire any who person of any faith who believes in divine inspiration and a God’s hand in important works.
Researchers are often persistent and unyielding in their efforts to uncover a family truth. However, these stories show that sometime it takes a miracle, an unexpected twist, to make the unlikely possible. Stories include family connections established through finding on eBay. Or, how persistence following up on one forgotten dead child in the family’s history led to the miraculous discovery of the names of the missing great grandparents, whose names had been sought for nearly 30 years. Many stories recount coincidence too precise or too timely to not call them miracles. Reading these stories will give the reader a sense of hope and faith that any challenge in their own research can be overcome, even if only by act of God.
Here is just one review from another author:
“‘Sometimes we forget how close Heaven is to Earth—just a whisper away’ ~ Elizabeth Jane Roberts. This is the kind of comfort offered by True Miracles with Genealogy. Personal story after story rivets your attention. This book is a powerhouse of inspiration—a absolute must-read to keep on your nightstand.” C.S Bezas, Author and Columnist.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
There’s a Couple Named Jallow Around the Corner
Filling the Gap – with Precision
In the Right Place at the Right Time
Learning that Genealogy is more than just Names and dates
Jane
Finding the McRae Family
Family History Brings Happy Closure
Portals to the Past
Spunky William
Annie Made Me Cry
Family connections from eBay
A Whisper Away
The Treasure box and Little Elizabeth
Astounding Meeting
A dream Come True
The Census Dream
Discovering John Peyton Overton
the Right Cemetery
On a cold and Misty Mountain
Six Years Missing
One Kind Act
Discovering the Impossible
Getting to Know Vira Ann
Led by a Confederate Flag
My Father Gave Me My Identity Back
An Accident and a Missing Link
Dad Came to Us on My Mother’s Birthday
An Old Brooklyn Newspaper
Prompted to Miss Lunch and Search
He Stayed with the Mail
The Same Little Town
A Civil War Dream
The Fabulous Shutts
She Did Belong!
A Google Miracle
Random Question
A Father’s Heart Turns
A Root Trip
Don’t Stop Now
Saved from the Mice
The Right Time
A Familiar Voice
We’re Related
A Great Trip
Hundreds of Family Bibles
From Jew to Christian
A Danish Miracle
Information in a Mess
Fruitful Connection
Dreams and Voices
Not Given to Flights of Imagination
About the Author
Find a little inspiration for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, order True Miracles with Genealogy: Help from Beyond the Veil from Family Roots Publishing; Price: $11.83.