Ellie and Quinn’s honeymoon in France is meant to be a celebration of love and new beginnings. But when they visit the quaint village her ancestor once called home, Ellie finds herself drawn into the story of why he left - and discovers that the roots of love, sacrifice, and hope stretch further than she ever imagined.
Back home, Graham’s quiet days take an unexpected turn when a long-buried family secret comes to light. With Norma’s humor and Phil’s loyal companionship, they embark on a road trip that is as much about friendship and belonging as it is about uncovering the truth.
As Ellie and Graham’s journeys unfold across continents, they begin to realize that the ties of family, past and present, can shape not only where we come from, but who we are meant to be.
Beth Farrar has been writing stories since her parents handed her a library card with which she always took out the allowed five books per week. From that moment on, her imagination was sparked. Encouragement from English teachers set her on a serious path of learning the craft.
From TV scripts to full length movies (none of which came to screen but were for pleasure and practice), she developed her writing skills by exploring various mediums. Filling notebooks with ideas, sketching characters and locations, and inventing sticky situations for the heroes and heroines to survive, is Beth's happy place (besides walking in cemeteries, but that's another story).
For fifteen years Beth wrote a monthly column, Living Country, in her local English language newspaper, Main Street, sharing interesting observations of living and raising her three sons in the country with her husband.
Having always loved genealogy, Beth melded two of her passions together and created the Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery series.
Beth's three sons now live in Montreal but she and her husband still live in their log cabin on a lake north of Montreal. They love the quiet and the bird song (sometimes way too early in the morning!). They’re not particularly fond of power outages in the deep winter months, the shoveling, or the mosquitoes in summer. But the rest = priceless!
For tips and tricks on how to write your own personal history story, head over to Beth Farrar – Author on Facebook for more information.
And being a Canadian author, please forgive the extra "l"s and wayward "u"s you may find in my work. Please don't report them, it's just the way we spell words here in the great north, eh!
I love the Ellie Ellie McClellan books! It’s obvious that Beth Farrar is a genealogist, as her stories are very accurate. This one, especially. I loved the characters. Please, Beth, keep writing.
I anxiously await every new volume, and often reread my favs! Still mourning Tess's loss and hoping we never ever have to experience that again. Shared with hubby today that yesterday I had been to Paris and to the top of the Effiel Tower; I truly felt I had been right there with Ellie & Quinn Of course, all the while respecting their privacy,,Thank you Beth.
Each one in this book had an adventure that is heartwarming. It makes me want to dig into my own. I hope there is more family stories to come. So, why only 3 stars? I found it confusing to go back and forth between Ellie and Graham's family search. It may have helped if both ancestor didn't begin with the letter L. I had difficulty going from Paris to Montreal and back again. Also with Ellie's friends they visited. Really interesting side stories, but who was Gillian? I couldn't place her from what I read many months ago. I felt I was missing something. I did enjoy the trip to Paris, that will never happen for me, even if I couldn't pronounce the French words. So, who's story is next?
Absolutely loved each one of these books in the series. I’m a genealogist/ historian for my family & loved how you tied each of these 10 books together with characters, just enough mystery & research to keep even non-genealogists happy!
I plan to log on your website to sign up for more information on research on how to write my own memoirs.
Couldn’t put these books down! Please keep writing!!!
Not as good as the others but still worth reading….
I found this one of the series a tad lacking compared to the others. I found the page after page of the sights of Paris a tad boring and not really adding to the story. As a reader of genealogical mysteries I didn’t need to go sight seeing. Regardless for those that enjoyed the series I think they’ll enjoy the journey stated and continued from book one
Family Past is another charming and heartfelt addition to the Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery series. In this installment, Ellie and Quinn spend their honeymoon in France, where Ellie takes the opportunity to visit the picturesque village her ancestor once called home.
Meanwhile, back home, Graham uncovers evidence of a long-forgotten family secret. Norma and Phil jump in to help, and the three embark on their own little investigation—full of teamwork, curiosity, and the small-town warmth that makes this series feel so comforting.
With its dual storylines and gentle mystery, this book has all the cozy charm I’ve come to love from Beth Farrar. A lovely 4-star read for anyone who enjoys genealogy, friendship, and stories with heart.
While Ellie and Quinn have a honeymoon in France, other members visit a little part of that country in Canada. Each group on a quest. Once more Beth Farrar tells a beautiful story, knitting together both adventures. Great story, great author and as usual left me wanting more. Thank you Beth.