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DNA Reveals Surprises About Life On Plantation

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By AMY SMITH LINTON

Published: December 30, 2007

"The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History Through DNA," by Edward Ball (Simon & Schuster, $25)

When Edward Ball obtained an old desk from a distant cousin, he thought it would connect him to his new home in Charleston, S.C. The desk had been used on his family's historical plantation and had been in family hands since about 1800.

But hidden inside a secret compartment was something even more tightly tied to Ball and his family: a collection of hair from Ball's ancestors - some well more than 150 years old.

In the 19th century, it was not uncommon for mourning parents or friends to save locks of hair; in this case, Ball found nine, each labeled with name and date.

Bringing the same meticulous research and lucid writing that made his earlier nonfiction, "Slaves in the Family," so intriguing, Ball takes the reader on an expedition through the nation's foremost genetic research laboratories and has the antique hair analyzed.

The genetic testing reveals that Ball's family includes some ancestors outside a white Northern European heritage.

Ball examines the science behind the DNA, side-tracking to explain the customs of his ancestors' time and place, as well as looking into family archives and genealogy.

He has written a fascinating story about race, identity and the ambiguous power of science in today's society.

This makes for ideal reading for anyone interested in family history, the forensic science behind DNA or general Southern history.

Amy Smith Linton is a freelance writer from Tampa.

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