“Hobbits give presents to other people on their own birthdays.  Not very expensive ones, as a rule, and not so lavishly as on this occasion; but it was not a bad system.“

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)

It’s my birthday! And as a long-time J.R.R. Tolkien aficionado, the thing to do is to give everyone else a present. If you haven’t already gotten my book AI for Genealogists, you’ll be able to get it for free from May 6th (12:00 AM Pacific time) through May 10th (same timing).

Few authors understood the power of family history quite like Tolkien. Best known as a linguist, Oxford professor, and prolific writer, Tolkien was also, in many ways, a genealogist. The worlds he created were built not only through language and adventure, but through detailed family trees, ancestral connections, and carefully preserved histories. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are filled with footnotes, appendices, and references that trace generations of relationships, while The Silmarillion delves even further, presenting entire genealogies and even an Elven family tree.

I first read The Hobbit as a young teenager, which, not coincidentally, was also when I was beginning to develop an interest in genealogy. Both Tolkien’s richly layered histories and my own fascination with family research have remained lifelong passions.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why Tolkien’s work resonated so deeply. His stories remind us that understanding the past, whether in fantasy worlds or our own family trees, adds depth, meaning, and connection to the present.

I’ve often celebrated my love for Tolkien’s work by giving presents on my birthday. And now I get to do it again with all of you! Look for AI for Genealogists from May 6th – May 10th. I’ll send out a reminder later in the week.