Authors Harmon and Hopkins trace the Harmon family history, recalling their forebears' daring grasp of America's liberty and opportunities in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. In 1844, one of Harmon's forebears, Peter, nervously makes his way to the home of Mary, a pretty and precocious teenager, to ask her hand in marriage. Barely out of his teens, Peter knows the responsibilities inherent in what he will ask: a lifetime of devotion, fatherhood, and hard work. Once Mary's father, Jacob, agrees to the union, they are soon married. She has the first of their children in 1846. There will be more to follow, with one remarkable set of twins born weeks apart and one child dying young of pneumonia. The family works their farmstead from early morning until setting sun, sometimes moving after battling inclement weather and the aftermath of the Civil War when rogue soldiers become marauders. Finally becoming "sooners"—some of the original families settling the newly forming state of Oklahoma—the Harmons prosper, leaving an honorable legacy with many upstanding citizens among their offspring.

The authors began this account after Harmon gained internet attention as "Sad Papaw" when he made a supper for his six grandchildren, but only one showed up. Recording the family history was the labor of a year or more. This is the second volume in that endeavor. Much research, both of family lore and factual historical materials, have been melded into this enlivening tale, showing the authors' diligence and an enviable ability to set a scene from long ago times encompassing the probable feelings and actions of their ancestors. This highly readable saga of 1800s American farm life—including photographs, children's games, holiday celebrations, planting and sowing techniques, recipes, teacher's training, plagues, and the joys and challenges of parenthood—will enchant readers of all ages.

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