Tracing Maternal Lineages That Surname Searches Miss
Traditional genealogy often follows only the father’s last name, allowing maternal grandmothers and great-grandmothers to disappear behind maiden-name changes.
In our editions, we give equal weight to maternal branches—recovering maiden surnames on marriage certificates, Italian and French ship manifests, and European parish registers so your mother’s side of the family is told in full.
How to Give It on Mother’s Day
- Begin 3 to 4 weeks ahead for the bound hardcover book. Request your free 48-hour feasibility study at least a month before Mother’s Day to unwrap the finished hardcover volume at brunch.
- Or present our 48-hour Commissioning Certificate. Unwrap the personalized certificate on Mother’s Day and spend the afternoon looking through her favorite family photographs together.
What Every Commission Includes
- Complimentary 48-hour feasibility study: Before you pay a dollar, we verify what the US and European archives contain for your family and send a written chapter plan and firm quote.
- Primary-source archival research: US Federal Censuses, passenger arrival manifests, military draft and service files, and European civil and parish registers.
- Custom literary narrative & hardcover binding: Choose either the Ancestor Portrait (from $590, 28 to 40 pages) or the Lineage Edition (from $1,690, 45 to 70 pages), delivered with tracked air shipping to the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
01Can we include handwritten family recipes, letters, or photographs?
Yes. Alongside the historical census sheets, passenger lists, and civil records we pull from the archives, we carefully scan, restore, and typeset your mother’s favorite photographs, letters, or handwritten heirlooms.