This exciting saga of America in the 1870s describes the boyhood of the author's uncle, Mont Hawthorne, beginning with the flight of his family from Pennsylvania to escape the "fever-ague", chronicles their trek across the country and concludes in California and Oregon. This is one of three books about Mont's adventures in the frontier West, recreated from family memory records and the author's research. 282 pages; map endpapers. The author has flat-signed the title page. Just slight fraying on cover corners and spine bottom; spine top has some wrinkling; spine shows some fading; pretty modest toning of pages. Jacket has chips , tears and pieces of tape at the spine ends; small chips at spine folds; some other short tears and creases on edges; front flap has edge clips. Still, an uncommon book, especially in the jacket.