Episode Description
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A single DNA result can feel like trivia until you chase it all the way back to names, places, and documents that prove a life actually happened. That’s where Joseph Bolton’s story gets gripping. He’s a West Point graduate and retired Army paratrooper who starts digging into his family tree, discovers Indigenous and French-Canadian roots he didn’t fully understand, and then turns that research into Old Grandmother’s Tree, a heavily illustrated folk tale series built on real historical anchor points from 17th-century Quebec.
Joseph explains why he chose the folktale as the “language” for telling his ancestor’s story, how Jesuit records in Trois-Rivières preserve rare details about her life, and how he uses imagination to explore the emotional truth inside documented events.
The conversation goes deeper than books. Joseph shares how connecting with Algonquin community members and other descendants reshapes his sense of identity and belonging, and how Canadian ancestry laws change the way he sees himself in the present, not just the past. If you’ve ever wondered how to research your family history, how to write historical fiction responsibly, or how ancestry can redraw your idea of who you are, you’ll find a lot to sit with here.
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Guest Links
Old Grandmother's Tree Homepage
Old Grandmother's Tree Character Wiki
Old Grandmother's Tree Purchase options on Amazon
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Credits
Music Credit: True Living by Patrick Moore
Royalty free music license purchased at soundotcom.com