What I'm Reading

Only a Few Bones by John Philip Colletta is a true story of two tragedies that happened to the author's ancestors: a mysterious fire that killed five people, including his great-grandfather, and just a few months later, the wreck of a paddle boat. The fire is a mystery that can never be solved and yet the author takes us on a fascinating journey through the possibilities, starting with a fragment of memory and traveling through sources and records to reach a possible conclusion. And all the while telling the story in a "can't put this book down" style. It is also an excellent example of using all the records a family historian comes across to build a life story of a family. Even though it reads like a novel, it is a true story and there are 82 pages of notes that show his meticulous research. It is a great inspiration to those who have a great family story to tell but are not sure how to tell it. Highly recommended.