JK Rowling

Image for JK RowlingNot currently available on BBC iPlayer

Duration: 1 hour

In a rare television appearance, best-selling Harry Potter author JK Rowling sets out to investigate her French roots. Jo has always been intrigued by her late mother's French ancestry, but knows very little about it. Beginning her journey in Edinburgh, Jo's search takes her from The Savoy in London, to once-bloody battlefields and the back streets of urban Paris.

Jo is especially keen to find out more about her great grandfather, Louis Volant. She knows that he was awarded one of France's most prestigious medals, the Legion d'honneur, for his actions during World War One. Jo wants to find out exactly what he did to win the honour. The trail leads to a surprising and shocking discovery.

Pushing back further into her family tree, Jo discovers an ancestor who triumphed against the odds, despite her inauspicious beginnings, and discovers how a war almost transformed her family's identity forever.

  • JK Rowling's Great Great Grandmother

    JK Rowling's Great Great Grandmother

    Salome Schuch, JK Rowling's Great Great Grandmother, pictured in the 1880s.

  • Researching celebrities' family histories

    Researching celebrities' family histories

    Executive producer Tom Mcdonald on the emotional highs and lows of Who Do You Think You Are?: "We do always warn everyone that history has a habit of taking surprising twists and turns - and that they might not always like what they find."

    Read and comment on Tom's post on the BBC TV blog

Credits

Series Producer
Colette Flight
Participant
JK Rowling
Director
Leo Burley

Broadcasts

See all broadcasts of JK Rowling (4)

Buy online

Available on: DVD

From suppliers including: Amazon, BBC Shop

Where to buy

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