Sharon Diluvio always knew her grandfather as a hardened West Virginia coal miner. But his well-formed, richly curved script revealed an inner artistic bent. That confirmed her mother's memories of a keenly observant father who loved nature and knew the name of every bird and tree. But maybe you have no memories of your ancestors — just the documents they wrote on.

According to genealogical graphologists (handwriting analysts), your long-ago relatives actually wrote all about themselves on deeds, certificates, letters and other papers. Was your great-aunt Sarah demure or daring? Did your Colonial ancestor have an inquiring mind? They can tell you — not by what they wrote, but how they wrote it.

Graphology is no parlor trick, but a branch of psychology that's performed by certified practitioners with years of training. The FBI uses graphology to enter the minds of its most wanted. Employers use it to select promising new hires. Historians use it to analyze the letters of famous people, from Winston Churchill to Marilyn Monroe. You can use it, too, to make some basic observations about your ancestors.