"Giles thought of the wild stories his dad had told him about the wild west. How his dad and Grandfather and Uncles had fought and killed Indians, thieves and outlaws, struggled against the weather and thirst and survived."
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The Recipe:
One American Family's Eight Generation by Don McComber Trafford Publishing
book review by Karyn Saemann
Through great societal change, eight generations of the author's family are connected by the common threads of work, love, survival, and adventure. Those threads are as central to the McCombers' story as is the secret pickle recipe that brings some family members commercial success. The patriarch, Macum, leaves Scotland in 1763 for America with the recipe stitched onto a scrap of cloth. In America, Macum impresses Indians and white people with his charisma, work ethic, and singing voice. His descendents inherit those traits, including the singing voice. The original, stitched pickle recipe and written accounts of the escapades of early generations are ultimately lost, but remain indelibly etched in descendants' minds.
On the final page, a boy bursts into song as he reaches into a kitchen pickle jar. In-between, Mc Comber embellishes well-researched genealogy with some fiction, weaving a wonderfully engaging, epic story. Family members crisscross the United States in search of the American dream, fighting Indians, trekking over mountains and rafting down rivers. They weather storms, wars and economic downturns. Ultimately, a generation goes to Vietnam. McComber does an admirable job of keeping the densely-detailed story moving. Family members poignantly pass through locales where ancestors experienced major life events and believably reflect on how those events changed their lives. Changes nationwide, locally, and to individual farms and homes are excellently chronicled; some places grow and flourish while others fall into ruin and even disappear. The adventures of each generation are remarkable enough to stand alone, chapter-by-chapter. A richly-woven tale that celebrates those who built America and the deep ties we have with them.