Tracing the Clues
Emma found an actual census from the 1920s listing her great-grandfather’s name twice in two different homes in the same town. She shuddered at what this seemed to imply. How was one man able to keep two families without anyone knowing? The implications were simply staggering.
Emma talked to historians and genealogists, to understand better what was going on in the past. They explained to her that it wasn’t unimaginable for men of that era to have “shadow families,” especially in very rural communities where records are scarce and social mobility is limited. Still, it was deeply personal.
To dig deeper, Emma contacted people who were linked to the second house on the census list. Some of these contacts were initially skeptical when Emma approached them over her inquiries. However, after they saw the photo and elaborated on what she was doing, they cooled down. It is from these conversations that Emma began to assemble the puzzle.
