Raised mostly by a surrogate family, Boston artist Lumina Gershfield is compelled to find out all that she can about her biological family. In particular, she hopes to connect with her grandmother, who in her youth faced a similar question to the one that currently concerns Lumina.
Upon seeing an old photograph of his great-grandfather for the first time, Durrell Daniels is surprised to see a dapper, successful-looking man. Durrell knows that his great-grandfather lived in the post-Civil War South, when African Americans still struggled to advance economically. As a successful entrepreneur, Durrell is compelled to learn more.
Katie Newbold´s life has been riddled with health problems, and she has most recently been diagnosed with precancerous polyps. As Katie looks to her family´s past to understand if these health issues are genetic, she is able to connect with a great-grandmother who died of a similar condition in her early 30s.
Maile Mossman has lived all her life in Maui, Hawaii, where there are strong oral traditions. Maile is a Kupuna, a teacher of oral tradition through Hawaiian music. Unfortunately, Maile knows very little about her maternal side of the family and is unable to pass on oral traditions to her own children.
John Searcy feels passionate about the power of a name. John wants to learn more about his namesake, his grandfather, in hopes of identifying morals and values that he can emulate. He travels to Florida and Georgia, where he learns about his surprising past.
Deanna Jensen sets out on what seems to be an impossible journey of learning about her great-grandparents, who were killed in a house fire after throwing their 11-month-old daughter to safety. Deanna´s grandmother knows little about her parents, making it difficult for her to pass on their legacy.
Danielle's apathy concerning family history is razed when she learns that her African-American great-grandfather was the inventor and patent holder of the horse bridle in 1892. To learn more about her ancestor, Danielle journeys to Colonial Williamsburg to see what life would have been like for a man of his status.
Bridal gown designer James Walker investigates the truth behind the family legend of an East Indian princess ancestor who allegedly immigrated to Utah in the early 1900s.
As Andrea Campbell undergoes her second bout of cancer, she must face drastic lifestyle changes. Join her as she draws strength and inspiration from her ancestors, particularly the independent women of her past.
Gloria Squires has been troubled by a family story of her grandfather William, known only as a drunk who cheated on his wife and was ultimately found beaten to death. Gloria believes there is good in everyone and wants to find something admirable that she can pass on to future generations.
Former judge Boyd Mossman believes that he is related to Isaac Davis. Legend has it that Davis was the royal adviser to King Kamehameha, who allegedly gave Davis a Hawaiian princess to marry. Boyd researches the story of his ancestor to find out if the legend is true and if Boyd really is royalty.
Vicki Biss believes she is part American Indian and travels to Shiloh, Tennessee, to discover the surprising truth behind the legend.
Is pessimism hereditary? Lakia Holmes journeys through her great-grandmother´s life to find out. Her question takes her from the Big Apple to rural Alabama to the small schoolhouse of her great-grandmother´s youth, a harrowing reenactment of life as a slave, and a surprise encounter with the grandfather she has never met.
Xander and Carrie, whose twin boys were saved from a genetic disease by an anonymous bone-marrow donor, test the relationship between genetic and genealogical ancestry while searching for the disease in their own family histories.
A Golden Gate Bridge ironworker sets out to build emotional bridges with his estranged son. When Kerry discovers a story about his father's relationship with his own parents, he wonders if history is repeating itself.
Emily, an artist, puts her spiritual instincts to the test by investigating the lives of her ancestors to see if her promptings are correct. Emily explores impressions she has had about specific ancestors, including a Puritan midwife in 1600s Boston and a 19th-century Minnesota Irishman, and solves an intriguing historical mystery about a slandered ancestor.
Learn how to do your own generations project by connecting with your ancestors in a way that makes a difference in your life right now.
For PJ and Heidi, each step on their journey brings them closer to rehabilitating their relationship, handicapped long ago by their abusive father. They hope to find tight-knit, well-adjusted ancestors in their family tree.
Tara, a Pakistani-American, learns how her prominent Muslim ancestors risked their lives to help establish India's independence and participate in the Pakistan-India partitioning.
Will, an actor, hopes his family history can help him navigate the choice between a practical career and his dream of working in the arts.
In search of a stunning new recipe for the rising generation, Chef Nick sets out to learn about the lives and diets of his French-Canadian ancestors.
Rachel, an urban planner, is curious about her ancestors' relationships with their ecosystems. Her discoveries range from canals in Canada to the site of the Salem witch trials.
Ty, a photojournalist, attempts to reconcile his feelings about his German ancestors' involvement in both World Wars, including their role in the Nazi regime.
An undertaker learns about the lives of his African-American ancestors by investigating their deaths and how they were memorialized.
A dyslexic author and mountaineer turns to the lives of his ancestors to gain courage to pursue his life's calling.
Ed has spent his entire life believing he is Native American. But when a DNA test shakes that belief, Ed goes on a journey to discover the origin of his family.
Matthew seeks closure after his brother's death by walking in the shoes of his ancestors who fought in wars and grieved the loss of loved ones.
Catch up with four individuals who discovered their past last season and see how they have changed their futures.
As Olympic snowboarder Graham reaches the end of his career, he looks to his ancestors for an example of selfless living to help him overcome his selfish habits.
Rachel spent her early years seeking praise from her father. When he died, she was left without hope of feeling that he approved of her. She looks to the examples of her ancestors to finally feel at peace with who she is.
Roi Maufus hopes that through reconnecting with his father and exploring his family history, he will be able to understand how his ancestors dealt with racial persecution.
Amber wants to give her daughter a strong sense of identity, so she journeys through her daughter's African American heritage to help her find self-acceptance.
Raquel wants to start a family but has fears about juggling motherhood and her fast-paced career. She researches the mothers in her family tree to find the courage to confront her fears.
Nancy Benjamin needs to learn a better way to handle her responsibilities as caretaker for her sick husband and hopes to learn about ancestors in her family history that successfully dealt with difficult circumstances.
Computer tech David Dossett's need for positive reinforcement is turning into a self-absorbed pathology, and he must confront his greatest fear--opening up emotionally to his family.
Jill has a lot of hard feelings toward her neglectful father. She wants to let go of these hurtful feelings and decides to confront her fears with an exploratory journey into her past.
Eli started an organization that promotes peace for indigenous war veterans. She embarks on her generations project so that she can learn from her ancestors who have struggled for purpose and peace.
Natalie recently experienced a tremendous tragedy that not only shocked her family, but drained her to the point where she was just trying to survive each day. Now she is in search of ancestors she can connect with so she can find the strength to push forward through life challenges.