In this blend of genealogical detective story, church history and travelogue, Griffeth traces a family tree that has, for more than four centuries, intersected many of the great themes of American history. A financial journalist and co-anchor of CNBC’s Power Lunch
, Griffeth’s journey includes trips to England, the Netherlands, the Eastern seaboard and the Midwest to set his family narrative in the broader context of European and American religious history. Fleeing England to avoid religious persecution in the early 17th century, the three families Griffeth researched eventually ended up in America, where members settled in American colonies, took part in the Methodist religious revivals of the early 19th century and joined the great move westward. As Griffeth recounts in one of the book’s more moving chapters, several of his ancestors were tried and executed in the infamous 1692 Salem witch trials. Meticulously researched and with a great eye for detail, the writing sometimes seems descriptive rather than evocative, as though the writer was observing someone else’s past. The volume may motivate those amateur genealogists who wish to explore how the experiences of their ancestors became a part of the American experience, shaping the narratives and faith journeys of future generations. (Dec. 31)
