The earliest of eight generations of women came to Appalachia in 1796 as pioneers when the Northwest Territory was wilderness. Having crossed the barrier mountains to settle in Paint Valley, Ohio, over decades, they cleared the forest, started a school, went to war, sheltered slaves, bore and lost children, created lasting works of art, and traveled the world. And for 200 years, they stayed in Ross County, Ohio.

Lynn Carden has, with curiosity, passion, and familial love, researched, collected, disseminated and written a historical narrative celebrating her forebearers. The Women of Robertson Place illuminates the reader to a collective family portrait: Mary, the brave pioneer; Robertson, the country squire and patriarch; Clyde, the arrogant nephew; Virginia, the rebellious daughter, and many more. Carden’s family, past and present, is a colorful bunch, who, while following the rules of fish fries and church revivals, also rebelled with elopement and a prison escape.

What made the women keep returning to Robertson Place? This elegantly written story is a love letter to Carden’s past, one which many of us might wish were our own.