The Pirate Connection

A Bronx woman with a difficult upbringing decides to figure out where she came from. Her journey leads her to a grandfather whose work is admired by millions.

Alina Fernandez was a small child when the Cuban Revolution spilled onto the streets of Havana. The Revolution's leader, Fidel Castro, would appear on television, giving speeches that would often run for hours. Then, when the speeches were over and the television was turned off, Fidel Castro would appear in her living room.

A man who grew up with little to no information about his family history encounters a 380-year-old tale about war and royalty. And with the help of a British researcher, new information is discovered.

David Belden was born into the upper echelons of Moral Re-Armament, a spiritual movement that hoped to save the world. It wasn't until later in his life that David realized he was in a cult.

Acclaimed magazine writer Tom Junod investigates the history of his father, his family, and himself.  In the process of writing his memoir - In The Days Of My Youth I Was Told What It Means To Be A Man - he discovers an explanatory secret.  

A family discovers an ancestor who was convicted at the Salem Witch Trials. And they take umbrage with the fact that she was never pardoned.

While connecting the dots between her family and the infamous New Orleans pirates, Jean and Pierre Laffite, a self-taught genealogist discovers a family secret.  The founder of the Laffite Society has his own secret connection to the pirates. 

The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.

A Dutch retiree never knew what his father experienced in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.  But when he finds his father's journal, he discovers some unfinished business.  

Author Bruce Feiler discusses the fascinating links between family stories and the elusive concept of happiness.