Who do you think you are? It’s a catchy title for a TV series. Produced by and starring celebs, it mirrors a similar format already showing on free-to-air TV. In an age of reality celebrity it’s fascinating that actually discovering one’s ancestors is beginning to find a niche of its own. For an increasingly urbanised society have we suddenly become aware of a need for a sense of grounding, to know where we fit in the world and why? It seems the answer is yes for genealogy is no longer the preserve of those who have achieved the age of wisdom. The search for an understanding of one’s own forefather’s is becoming increasingly popular across all age groups. We are a sum of those who have gone before us. The colour of our hair or eyes, our predisposition to illness, our sense of adventure and maybe even our choice of career may be predetermined by our ancestors, whether through genes or like-mindedness; depending on the scientific theory you follow. Whatever the reason I’ve always been fascinated by those who have walked the earth before us. I’m convinced that forging links with our ancestors through understanding and acknowledgement can only give us a stronger identity and fix us more firmly within the world we inhabit today. It’s for that reason that I chose to set my novel, The Bark Cutters across two distinct time lines; the 1850’s and the 1980’s. In The Bark Cutters you need to understand the past and those who have gone before to fully comprehend the present.