15 Books Behind the Lost & Found Stories

Why reading is fundamental to research

Researching the Lost & Found stories I share here is a ton of fun, and exposes me to information and ideas I might not otherwise come across. Although much of the research I do is straight up genealogy — constructing family trees, collecting vital records and dates and unraveling truth from fiction, I also spend a lot of time digging around in old newspapers, magazines, journals and other publications to put the stories I write into historical, cultural and social context. Most of the stories I share here at The Lost & Found Story Box include references to those sources.

What usually doesn’t show up in the end notes are the books I read to get a better understanding of the broader topics and themes that show up in the stories.

As I was putting together Call Me A Bastard, for example, I read books on everything from child abandonment and adoption to the history of Boston Brahmins and the science of secrets. For stories coming in the next months, that list of books expands to cover everything from the convict lending system and Civil War battle maps to bookkeeping best practices and the history of Persia — but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Here are a few of the books that have informed the stories on The Lost & Found Story Box in 2024. Let me know what you think.

And I look forward to having you join me here in 2025!

Release Date: December 31, 2024

Added to my research library in 2024

A Family Apart: Sleuthing the Mysteries of Abandonment, Adoption and DNA, Craig A. Stefan

• Like Aimee Henry, the author struggled for years to overcome his past and find a place to belong. His commitment to finding his sibling and learning the truth about his birth, birthparents and family history leads him to go deep into genealogy and the mysteries he finds. Compelling story for sure.

Dixie’s Daughters: The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture, Karen L. Cox

• Mary Martha’s obsession with lineage societies drew me to this book, but the author’s unrelenting truth telling about the UDC as a creators of the Lost Cause Narrative kept me reading. Fascinating historical look at the political and social influence of these women.

Family Trees: A History of Genealogy in America, Francois Weil

• This book did a great job of putting genealogy into a social and historical context, and answered so many of the questions I had about how and why we do what we do has family historians and genealogists. It definitely changed how I do what I do.

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love, Dani Shapiro

• So many people recommended I read this book when I mentioned the topic of family secrets, and for good reason. Powerfully written and reads like a novel.

Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence, Charlotte Linde

• I went back to college with this book, but learned an awful lot about life stories — how they’re crafted, how they change over time and why we all tell them. Very much an academic read, so maybe not for every one, but if you want to really dig deep into autobiographical narratives, grab a copy.

Mrs. Astor’s Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach, Meryl Gordon

• Great insight into the family dynamics found in households with generational wealth, and just how far family members will go to get their shares.

Nathaniel Hawthorn in His Times, James R, Mellow

• I wanted to learn more about Hawthorne and man, did I! This is a big book, and did provide some insights into him and his family, including Richard Manning, who was the guardian of Elizabeth Tarbox. I’ve been a huge fan of Hawthorne’s writing, which made this a good choice for me.

Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, Gretchen Sisson

• Probably one of the more impactful books I read as I was "getting to know” Mary Martha Parker and the decisions she made, despite the fact that the birth mothers interviewed came from a very different time and place. Just a ton of insight into the lasting impact of adoption on the birth mother.

The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday, Stephen Nissenbaum

• The author is a professor, so this is, at its heart, a scholarly look at the history of Christmas, but it is also entertaining and really informative, and adds another layer of understanding to all the traditions we carry forward today.

---

Would you mind doing me a little favor and click the ❤️ button at the bottom of the page? It lets others know this story is worth reading, and helps new readers find me. Thanks!

---

The Boston Money Tree, Russell B. Adams, Jr.

• An older book but one that really goes deep into the myriad ways Boston Brahmins earned, managed and often lost their generational wealth. Fascinating sections on the China trade and the financial foundation it laid.

The Gilded Age : 1876-1912 Overture to the American Century, Alan Axelrod

• Maybe not the best choice I could have made to get an accurate overview of and feel for this time period, but still an interesting read that provided some good context to Call Me A Bastard.

The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are, Libby Copeland

• This books is an instant classic and must-read for everyone in the family history community as well as those who are thinking about pursuing genetic genealogy. It is a cautionary tale, and one that has definitly changed how I think and talk about the topic.

The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships and Who We Are, Michael Slepian

• So much information about secrets — what they are, why we keep them, who keeps them and how keeping them impacts us. Loaded with research and practical advice.

What Would Mrs. Astor Do?: The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age, Cecelia Tichi

• This book was just a hoot and gave me all I needed and more to get a sense of the lifestyle of Mary Martha Parker and her like. The social pressure and expectations must have been crippling.

White Gloves: How We Create Ourselves Through Memory, John Kotre

• Just a terrific book on every aspect of autobiographical memory — the stories we tell ourselves and the ones that define us. I’m a highlighter, and nearly every page of this book has something that jumped off the page at me and got highlighted! The sections on the evolution of memory especially stuck with me.

So, there you have it, a short list of some of the many books I used in my research and added to my library in 2024.

What books did you benefit from reading in 2024? And what books are you looking forward to reading in 2025? Share your lists in the comments!

---

Be sure to check out Call Me a Bastard, a serialized true story that was first published here on The Lost & Found Story Box beginning in June of 2024.

---

Are you passionate about the connections between family history and food? If so, I invite you to visit my other newsletter, Stories of Food & Family. I’m filling that space with my own memories of family dinners and school lunches and recipes that have been passed down to me from the people I love most. And, I’m making room for you to do the same! See you soon.

---

The Lost & Found Story Box is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

---

Please don’t forget to click the ❤️ button at the bottom of the page if you enjoyed this story. It lets others know this story is worth reading, and helps new readers find me. Thanks!

---