For Darcey Hale, history has been a passion since, as a ten year old, she was introduced to the world of antiquity while residing temporarily among the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Uxmal in Yucatan. This experience was the catalyst for her ongoing quest to learn more about those who had lived in a time gone by. While earning her B.A. in American Cultural History at Vassar College her approach to history became more defined as she discovered that her true interest was in the people, the world in which they lived, and how their lives played out in a variety of settings. She went on to earn an M.A. in Education from Villanova University and had a long career as a teacher and a school head. With her retirement came the opportunity of a lifetime. She moved to Willsboro, New York and became the guardian of the treasures that the Clark family had left behind. Through their legacy she has lived their lives and now, in her first book, shares the story of the Clark family, as it so vividly portrays nineteenth century life in New York's Champlain Valley.