This book chronicles the history of a pioneering family of immigrant farmers (the Hopkirks) in southeastern Iowa. It begins in 1838 and ends with the early life of the author, their great-grandson, who was born in their house, moved with his family to California and what he experienced as an immigrant growing up in that state. It is a unique transect through history, complete with many original letters (1807+) and photographs (1850s+) which tell the story and bring it to life for the reader.

The author, Professor of Biology Emeritus, Sonoma State University, is better known as a fish scientist from his pioneering studies of the native freshwater fishes of California. His major accomplishment as a scientist was his discovery that California’s Clear Lake contained fishes peculiar to it which indicated an ancient age for the lake, previously unrecognized by geologists, but later confirmed by the US Geological Survey.