Tracing Their Steps: A Memoir

by Bernice Alexander Bennett

A visit to her grandmother’s house in New Orleans, a bowl of gumbo and a table full of memories open the door for Bernice Alexander Bennett's adventure to verify that her 2x great grandfather owned a lot of land in Maurepas, Louisiana. Tracing Their Steps is a Memoir about a journey to show how the power of oral history can serve as a guide to capturing a beautiful family history. You will learn how an African American man born before the Civil War managed to acquire over 159 acres of land during the 19th century under the Homestead Act of 1862. This compelling story will keep the reader fixated on how each step and, the many twists and turns in the journey links closer to verifying that the land did exist and further clarifies what happen to this land in the 20th century.

135 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2021

Reviews

[Mavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical genealogy book that just contains names dates and places. Bernice brings you along on the journey to find her 2X great grandfather's property. You feel like you are there with every step she takes in solving the mystery of did her family own this land that she had heard so much about and if they did own it, what happened to it.

If you are a genealogist or family historian, you learn techniques along the way that you may not of thought of previously.