There are 111 letters, fully annotated, cross-referenced within the text, and end-indexed by name and topic. A Chronology of Past Events, leading up to the first (1860) letter, allows readers to understand history as Mollie would have. Researchers —including genealogists and historians — will value the book for its insights into late 19^th Century Midwestern family life. 

 As one reviewer said: “[It is] a remarkable discovery [of a] trove of letters...and a terrific job selecting and annotating them... [T]he corpus of letters and introductory and contextual texts for them...make good reading and touch on such larger issues as Mormonism, the Civil War, and Missouri’s ambivalence as a border state. Clearly, a labor of love...”*

Letters to Mollie is 6X9 inches, printed on acid-free paper, Smythe-sewn in case-bound leatherette - a handsome addition to any library shelf. Its 320 pages include captioned photographs, selected pages from actual letters, an area map, and three pertinent family trees. It regularly sells for $25.00, plus 8.00% tax for Illinois residents. Shipping is included.