Tuesday, February 22, 2011

"The Journey Takers" by Leslie Albrecht Huber

Last year Leslie Albrecht Huber was kind enough to send me a review copy of her book "The Journey Takers".  This was the first time I had heard of Leslie and her book.  I was fascinated while I read about her experience in researching her immigration ancestors.  I found the book different in that it told both Leslie's story and the story of her ancestors as she discovered their lives.  There were moments of her envisioning  what they must of said and done that swept you away into their tale.  Sometimes I wished the book didn't bring me back to the here and now, other times I wished Leslie kept telling more of her research discoveries. It was a meshing of two different books.  Then I realized the book was written with the genealogist in mind.  Those of us that keep our feet on two sides of the veil.  It was an interesting read and I encourage you to pick up a copy of her book to discover what the pages hold within.

Leslie will be in Utah (and Nevada) for a genealogy lecture tour for the next couple of weeks.  Most lectures are free and open to the public, except for two conferences.  If you have the opportunity of listen to Leslie you won't be disappointed.


Lecture Description:
Did you ever wonder what it was like for your Western European ancestors to leave their homesbehind to start new lives here in Utah? Leslie Albrecht Huber will explore their experiences in her lecture, The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at the LDS Immigration Experience. Come explore these immigrants' stories, the historical context of their lives, and learn some sources and research methods that can help you uncover the stories of your own immigrant ancestors. The lecture is based on Huber's newly released book, The Journey Takers.
 
24 Feb             Book Presentation, Paseo Verde Public Library, Thurs 6:30 p.m., 280 South Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV, lecture free and open to the public, lecture and book signing: The Journey Takers
 
25-26 Feb        St. George Family History Expo, St. George Convention Center, 1835, Convention Center Drive, St. George, UT, Conference registration required for attendance, lectures: 
11:30 a.m., Fri: Beyond Names and Dates: Uncovering Your Ancestors’ Stories
8 a.m., Sat: Crossing the Ocean with the Internet,
2:30 p.m., Sat: The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at Immigration Research
Book signing: 3:40 p.m. at the Family Roots Publishing booth
 
26 Feb             Seagull Bookstore, Sat, 5-7 p.m., 967 West Red Cliff Drive, St. George, UT, book signing: The Journey Takers
 
1 Mar               Seagull Bookstore, Tues 4-6 p.m., Provo, UT, 2250 North University Pkwy #C56, book signing: The Journey Takers
 
1 Mar               Book Presentation, Provo City Library at Academy Square, in the Bullock Room on the 3rdfloor of the Academy Building, Tues, 7 p.m., 550 North University Parkway, Provo, UT, The lecture free and open to the public, lecture and book signing: The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at the LDS Immigration Experience
 
2 Mar               Monthly Meeting, Cache County Historical Society, Wed, 7 p.m., Historic County Courthouse, 199 North Main Street, Logan, UT, The lecture is free and open to the public. Lecture and book signing: The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at the LDS Immigration Experience
 
3 Mar               Seagull Bookstore, Thurs, 11 a.m.-1  p.m., 1114 North Main Street, Logan, UT, book signing: The Journey Takers
 
3 Mar               Seagull Bookstore, Thurs, 4-6 p.m., 514 N 325 East, Harrisville, UT, book signing: The Journey Takers
 
3 Mar               Ogden Family History Center, Thurs 7 p.m., 539 24th Street, Ogden, UT The lecture is free and open to the public. Lecture: The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at the LDS Immigration Experience

4 Mar               Seagull Bookstore, Fri, 2-4 p.m., 1625 West 9000 South, West Jordan, UT, book signing:The Journey Takers

4 Mar               Utah Genealogical Association, Fri, 7 p.m., Bountiful Arts Center, 745 South Main, Bountiful, UtahThe lecture is free and open to the public. Lecture and book signing: The Journey Takers: An Inside Look at the Immigration Experience

5 Mar               South Davis Regional Family History Fair, Sat, Bountiful High School, Bountiful, UT, The conference and lectures are free and open to public (onsite registration required). Lectures and book signing:
9:20: The Journey Takers
10:40: Eight Ways to Cross the Ocean
12:00: Writing a Page-Turning (But True) Family History
Book signing: 1:10 p.m. at the Family Roots Publishing booth

5 Mar               Seagull Bookstore, Sat, 5-7 p.m., 316 North Marketplace Dr. Suite C-100, Centerville, UT,book signing: The Journey Takers       

 
Author Bio:
Leslie Albrecht Huber is a freelance writer and speaker. Her first book, The Journey Takers, was published in the summer of 2010. Leslie has spoken about her book and about tracing immigrant ancestors on Good Morning America, National Public Radio, and at libraries, museums, and conferences across the country. She has published over 100 articles in a variety of publications including The History Channel Magazine, The Journal of Mormon History, Family Chronicle, History Magazine, Ancestry Magazine, Family Tree Magazine, and others. For more information, visit www.thejourneytakers.com.

Back Cover Text

“Leslie Albrecht Huber has the ability to pull us back in history, allowing us to view it through her eyes. She is able to capture the essence of life as it may have been. The reader will find it impossible to lay the book aside as Huber shares her experience in a way that envelops, inspires, and motivates.”
            -Holly Hansen, Family History Expos President


Leslie Albrecht Huber’s ancestors were journey takers, leaving their homes in Germany, Sweden, and England behind to sail to the US and start new lives here. Huber sets out to trace these journeys and to understand her family – who they were and what mattered to them. But as she follows in their footsteps, walking the paths they walked and looking over the land they farmed, she finds herself on a journey she hadn’t expected. Based on thousands of hours of research, Huber recreates the immigration experience in a way that captures both its sweeping historical breadth and its intimately personal consequences.


“…an important contribution to the field of family history…”
-Dr. Raymond Wright, former director of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and retired professor of history from Brigham Young University

“The Journey Takers shows Huber’s ability to use sources to discover who these people of the past were, most especially to make them come alive. Her style of meshing her journey of discovery with their individual life stories makes a compelling narrative.”
            -Dr. Kathryn Daynes, professor of history at Brigham Young University and past president of the Mormon History Association

“The Journey Takers shows an impressive level of research, polished writing, and engaging and frequently moving interpretations. The theme that emerges about the importance and lasting influence of choices is a powerful one.”
            -Dr. Lavina Fielding Anderson, author of Lucy’s Book: Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir


“With The Journey Takers, Leslie Albrecht Huber brings her ancestors to life. She adds flesh to the bones of a genealogical study by weaving historical context, family stories, and her personal feelings into the fabric of the story. The hardships and heartaches of those who came before her are tightly bound to the journey that took them from the old world and into a new life."
-Cyndi Ingle Howells, creator and owner of Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

-- 
Leslie Albrecht Huber
Freelance writer and speaker, and author of The Journey Takers - www.thejourneytakers.com

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