Our Family Dreams: The Fletchers' Adventures in Nineteenth-Century America

The Fletchers, proud descendants of Revolutionary War patriots, represented 19th-century family values in their desire for success through education and self-sufficiency. Brothers Elijah and Calvin followed different paths but left voluminous records to tell their story and the happenings of the times. Smith (history, Univ. of Kentucky; coauthor, The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown) weaves details of family life in newly established Indianapolis and antebellum Virginia with both national and local events to craft a compelling social history. Similar to Henry Wiencek's award-winning The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White, the author creates a well-researched narrative that evokes a period and place. Using diaries, letters, photographs, and newspaper articles, Smith brings his subjects to life with their own words and images. Passages from source documents reveal distinct personalities shaped by subtly different choices. An interesting connection to Virginia's Sweet Briar College ties past and present together.