It Runs in the Family - Now available to order

It Runs in the Family: Understanding More About Your Ancestors

by Ruth A. Symes (The History Press, 2013)

ISBN: 9780752497020 14.99 (£11.99 at www.amazon.co.uk)

My new book is out from 2nd December 2013. Pre-order now for Christmas at www.amazon.co.uk or from www.naomisymes.com.  This book would make a great Christmas present for anyone interested in family history or social history!

In the quest to uncover our family history, we turn to written records, the family album and even heirlooms. However, they can often be difficult to interpret and
sometimes pose more questions than they answer:

• Why didn’t my ancestors smile for the camera?
• Why did great-grandfather wear a beard while his sons were clean-shaven?
• Why is my great-grandmother holding flowers in this photograph?

Drawing on evidence from social history, women’s history, and the histories of photography, art and fashion, and using examples from the lowly as well as the famous, Ruth Symes explores many aspects of ordinary life in the past – from the state of the nation’s teeth, to the legal and economic connotations of wearing a wedding ring and even the business of keeping a dog.
This fascinating volume aims to help family historians get to know their elusive ancestors by deciphering the wealth of personal and historical clues contained in photographs, documents and artefacts.