Friday's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" featuring actor Marisa Tomei was another well-done program.
Marisa hoped to learn about a murder mystery on her mother's side of the family. This episode differed from last week in that there was a family myth to research. I think those of us who have researched our family for any length of time have one of those handed-down stories. How much is fact and how much is fiction? Stories can be like a game of "telephone", where the story is told so many times, the truth is obscured.
I appreciated that not only was Marisa engaged in the fact-finding, but also had access to records from numerous sources. She was able to see original church books, newspaper accounts, court proceedings, and family letters to help bring her myth to light. Sharing her finding with her mother and the sense of contentment it seemed to bring was very touching. Her mother's comment about how your ancestors were somehow a mystical part of making you who you are was very true.
Great job again, NBC!
