"The stories here are viewed through the eyes of a girl from Sandy Mush, North Carolina. They're stories of the lives of hardworking people of modest means, who created and built everything that was good in their lives. ... Countless Americans have families like mine and stories like these. In writing these stories, I'm shown how their lives influence our life choices, values, and accomplishments. This book is to preserve their stories and their wonderful gifts to us--their lives."