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Episode Overview

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers build stronger family histories through better sources and smarter research methods. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shares a curated summer reading list for genealogists, featuring nonfiction books that demonstrate how historians use original records to reconstruct real lives.

More than book recommendations, this episode explores how accomplished nonfiction authors approach research—and how genealogists can apply those same techniques to break through brick walls and create richer, evidence-based family stories.

Episode Discussion & Key Moments

Kathleen explores why some of the best genealogy lessons come not from genealogy books, but from well-researched works of narrative history. These authors routinely uncover forgotten stories by combining original documents, archival collections, maps, correspondence, government records, and local history into compelling narratives.

The episode highlights several recommended books, including Obstinate Daughters by Denise Kiernan, The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown, and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, demonstrating how each author reconstructs lives through careful documentation and thoughtful analysis. 

The discussion also introduces the show's blog on reform school identification projects, illustrating how ancestors often appear in unexpected record collections:
11 Overlooked Records for Children Sent to Reform Schools.

Obstinate Daughters by Denise Kiernan

• The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Additional Resources

•  Behind the Uniform (Missouri Humanities-supported project) 
•  Reform school identification:
  11 Overlooked Records for Children Sent to Reform Schools.

Why This Episode Matters

Excellent genealogy depends on more than finding names in databases, it requires understanding the historical world your ancestors lived in. This episode demonstrates how reading well-documented history can sharpen research skills, expose overlooked sources, and inspire more accurate, engaging family histories.

About the Podcast

Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners discover overlooked records, understand historical context, and develop research strategies that bring family stories to life.

Support the show

Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. 

Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.