This collection of highly readable essays reveals that research is not restricted to library archives. When researchers pursue information and perspectives from sources beyond the archivesfrom existing people and places they are often rewarded with unexpected discoveries that enrich their research and their lives."Beyond the Archives: Research as a Lived Process "presents narratives that demystify and illuminate the research process by showing how personal experiences, family history, and scholarly research intersect. Editors Gesa E. Kirsch and Liz Rohan emphasize how important it is for...

Nathan stole Deirdre's heart in the fifth grade, the day he and Deirdre played the organ together in her uncle Leo's church. Nathan knows how Deidre wants to be a writer, go to college and move to the big city, away from Carroll Corners, Michigan and all the quirky rules that small town Catholic kids are supposed to follow, even if they don't make any sense. Nathan also understands that Deirdre's Uncle Leo and Leo's assistant Abigail are her parents, but not really, and since Deidre was orphaned as a baby when her dad died from drinking and her mother took off for parts unknown. Nathan...