I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page.
During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.
We moved to the Lake Macquarie area four years ago and I was keen to learn about the history of our new location. Author, Scott Bevan, must have known of my desire to learn because in 2020 Scott published his latest book, The lake : exploring a splendid sheet of water.
In the book Scott describes, in an easy to read conversational style, his circumnavigation by kayak around Lake Macquarie a huge saltwater lake that is bigger than Sydney Harbour. At each location he visits Scott gives us a history of the area and its people and features of the natural and built environment. Into his narrative he weaves interviews with local characters and shares sad and silly stories.
As President of the Local Family History Group I was quite ignorant of my local area and people, The Lake has gone some way towards rectifying that ignorance. I also found the detailed list of references and bibliography most useful in guiding my further reading but as the book doesn't have an index it is difficult to use as a ready reference.
I recommend this work not only to those with a local interest but to those who would like to take a vicarious visit to my backyard.
Many local bookstores and newsagents have copies of this book for sale.
