Book Signing with John Durel
The Shop at the Collection
Free and open to the public
Join us at the Shop at the Collection for a book signing with John W. Durel, author of Descendants: The Divided Lineage of a Louisiana Creole Family.
In light of the recent discovery by HNOC historian Jari C. Honora that Pope Leo XIV has Creole roots in New Orleans, Durel’s book offers a unique perspective within the complex history of this Southern identity.
Durel’s family history is also intertwined with that of the Historic New Orleans Collection. The Creole cottage located at 726–28 Toulouse Street, now owned by HNOC, was originally built by Durel’s family in the 1830s. It is only fitting, then, that Durel conducted much of his research for Descendants at HNOC’s Williams Research Center.
The book will be available for purchase at the Shop before and during the signing. Admission is free and open to the public.
About the Book
Based on extensive genealogical and archival research, Descendants traces evolving attitudes and laws regarding racial identity and relationships in New Orleans over 250 years through the lives of descendants of a French couple who arrived in the city in the 1750s. Spanning eight generations, this work highlights the complexities of race in Louisiana, touching on those who were enslaved and those who were enslavers, those who were wealthy and those of fewer means, those who were of solely European descent and those with mixed European, African, and American Indian ancestry.
About the Author
John W. Durel
John W. Durel
Born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, John Durel holds a PhD in American History from the University of New Hampshire. Following a career working in and consulting with museums nationwide and internationally, in 2019 he returned to his interest in historical research and writing. Descendants: The Divided Lineage of a Louisiana Creole Family is his first book.
More on Durel’s Family Home
Stories About Creole Identity
What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole—Or Is There One?
The answers are tied up in race, class, language, and, of course, history.
From the French Quarter to the Vatican
Shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first American pope, HNOC’s Jari C. Honora uncovered a surprising New Orleans connection, revealing the pontiff’s maternal grandparents to be Creoles of color from the Seventh Ward.
Related Collection Highlights
Cane River Collection
Over 1,400 legal and financial documents amount to a detailed record of one slice of 19th-century Black Creole life.
Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers
A rare collection of manuscript essays and family correspondence offers a thrilling look at one of the most influential people in the early struggle for African American civil rights in Louisiana.
Related Books
In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre–Civil War New Orleans
edited and with an introduction by Erin M. Greenwald, with essays by William Keyse Rudolph and Patricia Brady
Louisiana Lens: Photographs from the Historic New Orleans Collection
by John H. Lawrence
with a foreword by Jeff L. Rosenheim
Related News
CBS Mornings: What to Know about Pope Leo XIV’s Ancestry
NOLA.com Names HNOC Historian Jari Honora as 2025 “Louisianan of the Year”
Gambit: Musical Louisiana Concert Highlights Works of Underrecognized Creole Composers
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
