Seed of the Fire is a superbly conceived and written portrayal of the conditions faced by immigrant Irish canal laborers and their families on the Ohio frontier of the 1820s. Dan and Mary Griffen emerge from the pages as real people fighting to keep their family together in the face of powerful disintegrative forces. A host of other vivid characters surround Dan and Mary, bringing texture and depth to this fascinating tale of an almost primal struggle to overcome brutal working conditions, the forces of nature, uncaring and manipulative bosses, and epidemic disease. At the heart of the story, with significance for our own time as well, is the desire for a solid family existence integrated warmly and naturally into community life, but there is no taint of proselytizing to be found in this work.

Beyond all that, however, is the simple fact that this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read and deserves to be savored. I finished it reluctantly and lived with the afterglow for days.