Tracing My Roots in Guanajuato, Le n, and Silao's Haciendas and Ranchos (1734-1945) outlines the steps the author took to research his father's ancestors in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. One step involved him becoming a proficient reader of microfilm to study old church records from the comforts of a history center in McAllen, near his home in Laredo. Another took him to his father's birthplace for the first time in 1992.
The book also presents what the author yielded from his extensive research. At the center are two far-reaching genealogies--one of his grandfather Andr s Gonz lez, another of his grandmother Tomasa D az. In his journey through their lineages, he met a parade of ancestors who lived their lives during different eras and locations in Guanajuato (mainly El Baj o). On occasion, these forefathers came face to face with historical figures, including Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.