Ethel’s Journal. A Map to Our Past (en Inglés) - Karen F Nance

When the author discovers her grandmother Ethel Ray Nance’s 1919 travel journal, she uncovers the key to her family’s hidden legacy. Through tender narration and vivid imagery, Ethel’s Journal: A Map to Our Past tells the true story of how one young girl grew up to find her enslaved ancestors by following the clues left behind in her grandmother’s careful writing.

From Duluth, Minnesota, to the American South, and later across Africa, this beautifully illustrated story invites children to see how family stories, journals, and memories help shape who we are. It shows that our history is not something far away-it lives within us, waiting to be rediscovered.

Part biography, part personal journey, and part invitation to reflect, this book celebrates the power of journaling, the importance of remembering, and the unbreakable bonds between generations.

Ethel’s Journal: A Map to Our Past encourages young readers to explore their own roots, record their memories, and carry forward the legacies of those who came before them. Perfect for classrooms, libraries, and families, this book reminds us that every story-like every journal-is a map leading us home.