Names appear, here and there recorded for posterity, and then the page turns and new names continue to be written. The pages fill up, are turned, and life and generations go on. So it is with families.

They continue to move through the pages of history. Some are simply a line, recorded to acknowledge a birth or a death, while others had significant lives evidenced by volumes of testimony. This historical fiction novel depicts the life of Martin Renehan, born and raised in Kilkenny, Ireland.

In 1834 he followed his young lady across the Atlantic to America where he settled in Washington, D.C. There he served as usher in the White House for five presidential administrations beginning with Andrew Jackson. He lived his life close to the pulse of his adopted land and worked in the Capitol city through the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. His Confederate son was captured and placed in the Old Capitol Prison. This presented Martin with a new set of problems.

Many stories have been recorded about the intelligence and wit of this well-loved Irishman. During his life he was a colorful fixture in the society of Washington, D.C.