A stirring mixture of memoir, genealogy, history and hopeful manifesto ... Goudeau is unsparing in her determination to tell "hard truths" about the past ... The result is a compelling but wide-ranging narrative that sometimes struggles to stay in focus.
Some of the most moving parts of the book come from Goudeau finding the people helped—and harmed—by her ancestors’ choices. This is is an empathic and thoughtfully told work, sure to encourage reflection on the legacies we choose to inherit.
Introspective and detailed, Goudeau’s questing narrative, which strikes out in many directions in search of answers, at times feels circuitous. Still, it’s a valuable contribution to Texas history.
