by Edward Ball
First published 2007
Edward Ball moves back to Charleston and discovers locks of labeled hair hidden in an antebellum desk since the Civil War. The hair belongs to his long-dead relatives from his slave-owning family. Ball decides to use modern DNA science to learn what the genetic material can reveal about his ancestors and their true identities. His investigation takes him into forensics laboratories where technicians analyze genetic samples and into testing facilities where people await paternity results. Ball examines his colorful family members, including his antebellum ancestor Aunt Betsy, who wrote books about Southern society, and the mysterious Kate Fuller, who may have brought African ancestry into the Ball bloodline. His living cousin Catherine provides a cheek swab for comparison. Ball tracks shared genes across generations while exploring what genetics can tell us about personal identity and family legacy. The investigation becomes both a crime scene analysis and a genealogical adventure that challenges family traditions about racial heritage.
Genres: african-american, crime, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-legacy, investigation
Setting: Charleston
Period: Civil War
288 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster