Saturday, September 27, 2014

Dobyns Chronicles: a story of strength, faith and survivial

Dobyns Chronicles by Shirley McLain is about her great-grandfather, Charley Dobyns and his life growing up on ranches in Texas and Chickasaw Territory (which is part of present day Oklahoma) in a time when the old ways were moving into the modern era and the old life would only be seen in movies.


The story opens with Charley standing on his land for the last time as he moves from his home. He reflects back to his life on his father’s farm and his early memories of his parents. When his parents died tragically during the yellow fever epidemic of 1888, Charley must figure out how to keep his siblings together and keep them alive. They would endure extreme weather, tragic accidents and situations that no one could possibly imagine and they came back stronger and ready for the next one.


I love this story. I love the perseverance to survive. While I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother on her parents’ farm in Oklahoma during the Great Depression and the stories she would tell me of what they did to survive. I wonder if today’s generations would have the same survival spirit as out grandparents and great-grandparents. The story was so engrossing that I read the entire book in one day, which I thought I wouldn’t do but I had to finish and what find out the rest of the story. I really enjoyed the family photos at the end of the epilogue. It helped put faces to the names and their incredible story. I loved the Dobyns’ commitment to God and His Word. No matter what was going on in his life, the family always turned to God for guidance and comfort. I highly recommend Dobyns Chronicles. It is a story of love of family, love of the land and survival against great odds.
Dobyns Chronicles is available on Amazon
on the Kindle for $3.99 and in paperback for $19.99

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