I think the novel being discussed is The Custom-House by Hawthorne.
In the preface of the book, Hawthorne mentioned his ancestors. He has mixed feelings about them. He feels connected to them because of their blood connection but he dislikes their stern morality and rigidity as Puritans.
They are also relevant in the novel because Hawthorne drew inspiration from them by making their intolerance and lack of humanity the subject of the novel.
