Review - Storytelling for Genealogists by Doug Tattershall
- Treehouse Genealogy
- May 29
- 3 min read
What’s it About?
Genealogy is about solving puzzles. Who is related to whom? Who was my immigrant ancestor? How far back in time can I go? Do I have a famous ancestor? And so on.
Family history is different. If you want others to learn about where you and they came from, you must command their attention. As Doug Tattershall states in the Introduction to his new book, “We work hard to discover our family tree. But what we [and the people we are writing for] really want to know is our family story.”
So, how does a genealogist transition to family history? You will find the answers here. In fewer than one hundred pages, Doug shows how to start and stay on track in transforming the skeletal outline of a genealogy into an engaging family story. Chapter One discusses the elements of a good story: strong characters, a good plot, and the theme or point of the story—all based on the facts uncovered by your research. Doug draws on his own and others’ family stories and images to make his points. Chapter Two, “The Stuff,” explains how to research with biographical detail in mind, gathering from interviews (oral history), personal letters and diaries, newspaper articles and obituaries, lawsuits, local histories, etc. Chapter Three, “Puzzle Pieces” emphasizes the importance of establishing a timeline to your story, while Chapter Four illustrates how things like paintings or photographs, geographic details, and mementos can add specificity and immediacy to it. In Chapter Five, “Format,” the author draws on his journalism experience and the experience of five other contemporary family storytellers to compare the merits of the various media you can choose from: written narrative, audio, video, blogs, and podcasts. The final chapters emphasize the importance of creating a storyteller’s outline to keep everything together, examples of “Good and True” storytelling, and a helpful family story worksheet.
As Doug Tattershall reminds us, “We research our family histories to satisfy our own curiosity about our past, but we quickly find that we want to share what we have found . . .Telling your family story deserves an effort that incorporates the best practices of the dedicated storyteller. . . Your family history is a story worth telling and, therefore, a story worth telling well.”
84 pages
Our Review
Having recently studied Creative Writing, I was keen to review this book.
Doug Tattershall’s 'Storytelling for Genealogists – Turning Family Lineage into Family History' is a concise and inspiring guide for genealogists ready to take the leap from research to storytelling. In fewer than a hundred pages, this book delivers a powerful message: uncovering names and dates is only the beginning—transforming them into a compelling narrative is what truly brings family history to life.
Tattershall draws a valuable distinction: genealogy is about solving puzzles, while family history is about sharing meaningful stories. This sets the tone for the book, which focuses less on research methodology and more on motivation and practical techniques for crafting engaging stories from your findings.
He guides readers through the process of turning raw information into rich, memorable narratives, using personal examples and images drawn from his own family history and those of other researchers.
There are excellent sections on gathering detail through oral histories, letters, diaries, obituaries, and more—encouraging readers to think beyond the basic records.
Tattershall also explains how to build a timeline for your story and offers guidance on different formats for sharing your work, including written narratives, audio, blogs, and podcasts. A helpful family story worksheet is included to support your writing process.
Despite having studied Creative Writing, I found plenty of inspiration in this book. Tattershall’s advice is accessible, thoughtful, and often motivating.
This book will encourage you to stop merely collecting information about your ancestors and start telling their stories. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to write up their family history in a way that truly resonates.
If you are in the US then you can find the book on the Genealogical.com website otherwise check out Amazon or whatever bookshop you normally use.
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