The story of Europe and its people, told through its genetic legacy.'An extraordinary book ... part travel narrative, part family history, part scientific study.' - Financial TimesKarin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. At her mother's funeral she felt this more keenly than ever. As a science journalist she was eager to learn more about herself, her family and the interconnectedness of society. After all, we're all related. And in a sense, we are all family.My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, from the first wave of immigration to the present day, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy; by having her DNA sequenced she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back through the Viking and Bronze ages to the Neolithic and beyond into prehistory, even back to a time when Neanderthals ran the European show. Travelling to dozens of countries to follow the story, she learns about early farmers in the Middle East and flute-playing cavemen in Germany and France, along with a whole host of other fascinating characters.This book looks at genetics from a uniquely pan-European perspective, with the author meeting dozens of geneticists, historians and archaeologists in the course of her research. The genes of this seemingly ordinary modern European woman have a truly fascinating story to tell, and in many ways it is the true story of Europe. At a time when politics is pushing nations apart, this book shows that, ultimately, our genes will always bind us together.Winner of the 2015 Swedish August Prize

Introduction: The FuneralPART 1: THE HUNTERSChapter 1 : The Troll Child: 54,000 Years AgoChapter 2 : Neanderthals in LeipzigChapter 3 : The Flute PlayersChapter 4 : First on the Scene in EuropeChapter 5 : Mammoths in BrnoChapter 6 : Cro-MagnonChapter 7 : The First DogChapter 8 : DoggerlandChapter 9 : The Ice Age EndsChapter 10 : Dark Skin, Blue EyesChapter 11 : Climate and ForestsChapter 12 : Am I a Sami?Chapter 13 : Pottery Makes its AppearanceChapter 14 : The Farmers ArrivePART 2: THE FARMERSChapter 15 : SyriaChapter 16 : The Boat to CyprusChapter 17 : The First BeerChapter 18 : The Farmers ' Westward VoyagesChapter 19 : The Homes Built on the Graves of the DeadChapter 20 : Clashes in Pilsen and MainzChapter 21 : Sowing and SunriseChapter 22 : Farmers Arrive in SkaneChapter 23 : Otzi the IcemanChapter 24 : The Falbygden AreaChapter 25 : Hunters' and Farmers' GenesPART 3: THE INDO-EUROPEANSChapter 26 : The First StallionChapter 27 : DNA Sequences Provide Links with the EastChapter 28 : BattleaxesChapter 29 : Bell Beakers, Celts and StonehengeChapter 30 : The Nebra Sky Disc in HalleChapter 31 : The Rock EngraversChapter 32 : Iron and the PlagueChapter 33 : Am I a Viking?Chapter 34 : The MothersChapter 35 : The Legacy of Hitler and StalinThe Tree and the SpringQuestions and Answers about DNAReferences, Further Reading and Travel TipsAcknowledgementsIndex