Rashida Jones strongly identifies with both her African American and Jewish heritage, but knows very little about her mother's roots. She was close to her grandmother, who was originally from Ireland, but had little details on her life before marrying her grandfather. In New York, Rashida uncovers the answers to her grandmother's missing years and interesting life in Manhattan. As her journey continues, a trip to Ireland reveals new information that lead to her family's origins in Eastern Europe.

Paula Deen lost both of her parents and has a lot of gaps in her family knowledge. A visit to her aunt in Albany, Georgia, provides Paula with information that takes her back 150 years in her family's history. As she digs deeper into her heritage she uncovers her ancestor's political ties and his connection to a dark time in America's history. Further exploration reveals a heartbreaking event that deeply impacted her ancestors during the Civil War.