The major part of this book is a creative nonfiction imagining of the life of Elmina Tuttle, nineteenth-century woman of Lewis and Jefferson Counties, northeastern New York. Descended from New England colonists, raised as a Quaker, and widowed by three Union Army soldiers, she witnessed the departure of many members of her large family for land in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Elmina was born in a log cabin in the forest but lived to attend her granddaughter's high school graduation. Hers is a classic story of an American woman's dreams, setbacks and perseverance. The text is enlivened by excerpts from contemporary letters discussing Elmina and her husband Henry Parker. A detailed chronology, chapters that trace Elmina's Tuttle and Phelps ancestries, an all-names index and an extensive bibliography round out the work. Other surnames include Alexander, Dodge, Galloway, Lennon, Loveland, McQueen, Melotte, Moll, Palmer, Parker, Smith, Thomas, Witherby and many more. Judy Bridell 2004, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, index, 172 pp.ISBN: 9780788424892 101-B2489
