The stories... Your writing certainly captivated me! I often think of the people who came before me and wonder about their lives. Wish I knew stories of my ancestors and that I could share them as vividly as you.
That’s when my mind wandered and I found myself thinking about the family genealogy books in my possession. Unfortunately, many of them are dry recitations of who was born when, married on what date and to whom, the names of their children, and date of death.
I agree with your observation that the stories children recall are the ones told by grandparents of their parents.
Our middle child earned his B.A., majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing - he most enjoys poetry. I will definitely be sharing your book with him! In fact, I am adding it to the Christmas gift list. Yes! I have already begun...
Try a short term subscription to newspaper archives. Then try every possible spelling variation for your ancestors. For southern ones, go to initials. You will be shocked at how many stories will fall under your eyes. And they will be the ones that turn these people from the dry dust of dates into the wildly alive people dealing with daily trials and triumphs. Your ancestors ARE in the newspapers. You just have to find them.