Two graves occupy a corner of the lawn on the old Rakestraw home place. The family believes their shameful secret is buried forever, but a curious descendant keeps searching and asking questions until he uncovers the truth. What he discovers is not a shame, but an ancestral legacy of strong, honest people who changed a nation. Deep inside this old story, there's a life so wonderful and a love so tragic that it must be told. Emotional courage is required if you are willing to find the end of this family's story. It grabs you up by the collar and jerks into the middle of the Rakestraw family tree. By the time you turn the last page, not a skeleton in your closet will ever dare to rattle its bones again. But if it does, you'll be able to answer quietly, "I know and I understand."