I received the book early. It is a remarkable piece that captures beautifully a “Legacy of Purpose” through wars, hardship, economic depression, divorce, and migration. It is both raw and gentle. The writings give a wonderful complement and insight into the souls of those portrayed in tin, black and white, and muted colors. The blending of the two, photos and prose, tells an open-ended story. The book’s genesis of strong women and determined men are ongoing, presented as an odyssey where a distinct torch is passed to the yet unknown generations that have much to give back from what they have mysteriously received from those yesterday ancestors of so long ago. The book awakens the reader to a knowing that the ancients, like the “Branch of Jesse”, remain mysteriously among us as our guides into the unknown tomorrows.

John Lee, Cookeville, TN | 2021