Summary

A brief introduction speaks of a family that understands that it has been blessed by God with the power to do hard manual labor that is fruitful. Throughout the family's history, all of the family members-except for one- have always returned home after fighting in wars.

Part 1: The Inheritors of Loss

In Chapter 1, it is early spring. Bohumir “Bo” Konar and his mother, Hannah, pray as Bo’s grandfather –Jozef Vinich –has just died. Father Tomas Rovnavaha oversees the wake. At the wake, Bo listens to the stories of the mourners about Jozef. The stories tell how he came to America just after World War I with only fifty dollars. He had been on a long journey from Kassa through Hamburg to book passage on the Mount Clay. His final destination was Dardan, a city in northeastern Pennsylvania. Once there, Jozef had begun work...