The Juggler's Children: A Journey into Family, Legend and the Genes that Bind Us

I enjoyed this book because it is a subject that few have touched on. There are some wonderful benefits associated with genetic testing, but it can also unlock some family secrets that many would rather not know. Personally, I err on the side of information and having as much of the truth as possible, but Ms. Abraham does a good job of showing some of the counterarguments to that approach. If you are interested in family history, genealogy or genetics, give it a read.

This book was so timely as my daughter and I are tracing our family tree. Caroly Abraham is an excellent writer. Her family history is still unfolding like a well written mystery novel. What she uncovers on her mother's side is quite shocking. Her father's side, the Juggler's side, is still a work in progress, so I hope to read a sequel in the next few years. This book inspired us to forge ahead and also to pursue the use of DNA testing. An excellent read!Sharon Cooper

The information on DNA testing is a bit outdated now, but you can still learn a lot from this book. Her story is very interesting and makes you think about just how far you might go in tracing your ancestry.

Excellent book, especially if you have already sequenced your own DNA. I loved reading how the author traced her elusive ancestor.

Well written, well researched and a joy to read.

The Juggler's Children is a must-read for anyone who loves mysteries and is even remotely interested in where they came from.Carolyn Abraham has the ability to teach you so much about a new science, even if you don't have much of a background. And she is such a wonderful writer that you don't even notice that you're learning so much.

Well written. Could not put it down.

A well written, interesting tracing of complicated geneaology, interesting because of the settings in three countries, and above all, educational on an easy-to-understand basis with regard to DNA.

If you enjoy reading about problem solving, research and investigation you will enjoy this book.

Fascinating account of geneticgenealogical research.

The Juggler's Children is about the Canadian author's "dance between DNA and documentary evidence, science and paper" as she sets out to uncover the mysterious origins of two of her great-grandfathers, one of whom she inherited her surname from ("the juggler"). At the beginning of the book there are two family tree charts, one for the descendants of each of these great-grandfathers who married and fathered children in India but originally came from somewhere else (China and Jamaica, probably). In hindsight I should have drawn another family tree chart for the Crooks family in Jamaica as I read what her research uncovered there, as it was not so easy keeping up with the Crookses, but I was in too much of a hurry to find out what happened next. I guess it could not have been included in the book without giving too much of the story away.Even though my 100% European ancestry is not nearly as interesting as the author's, I can identify with so much of what she wrote having similar family mysteries of my own to solve. Regardless, I am a sucker for a good detective story. I also learnt some history, geography and science in the process.The book would also be a good primer for a "genetic virgin". It discusses genetic genealogy in layman's terms and illustrates the various pitfalls of genetic testing and analysis via the author's personal story. Her experiences demonstrate the limitations of both science and paper, and hence the value of using both to corroborate each other. Abraham is a science writer and wove various milestones in genetics and genetic genealogy into her story. However, science has already progressed somewhat since the Abraham family undertook genetic testing. There is now greater emphasis on testing autosomal DNA inherited from both parents and the costs have dropped substantially. Pioneers of genetic genealogy are impatient, and this book gives us some perspective in that regard.The writing style is well balanced, not too dry given the scientific subject and not overly verbose. The book contains plenty of humour, puns, metaphors and phrases that made me smile such as "typos" regarding mutations, "kiss and tell" regarding the Y chromosome and "old boys' club" regarding Y haplogroups (not having my own Y, I can really identify with that one).

The author is a science writer and as a child in Ontario became curious as to where her brown skin came from. Her parents had come to Canada from the U.K. but Carolyn knew India was somehow mixed up in the story. After the birth of her daughter Jade, she is determined to find out about the new DNA testing that has recently become available. She decides to examine her very mixed background through DNA. She begins with her parents and works backwards. As she researches the story of both sides of the family, she finds out she had some ancestors no-one would be proud of. The book is at once a warm family story and on the other side, the science gives the layman a basic understanding of the new science of DNA and the histories it can tell. I loved this book - the most fascinating I have read in a long time - and you will love it too.

As an avid amateur genealogist, I was initially excited to see how the author used DNA to trace her family. However, by the end of the book I was left feeling disappointed and with the sense that hiring a good genealogist would have saved her a lot of time. She got more good information from historic sources than from all the DNA testing she did. There was lots of build up no real climax to this book. More personal anecdotes and less explanation of DNA testing would have made this a more enjoyable and relatable read.