The Pursuit: A Historical Biography of One Family's Quest for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in America

"[Ruth's] writing is . . . skillful and his familial pride is palpable. . . . The personal reflections of Ruth's ancestors, providing distinctive eyewitness testimony to the history they lived, are used to great effect."

--Kirkus Reviews

"Although the focus is on the Ruth family, general readers will find much to captivate them as the story moves through the centuries . . . in clear prose that is both engaging and illuminating."

--IndieReader

"With The Pursuit, Jim Ruth turns his skilled genealogical research into a sweeping account of one family's remarkable role in the America story. This is an American family history well researched and well told."

--Michael Ross, Professor of History, The University of Maryland

Nearly 300 years ago, Peter Ruth, the author's fifth great-grandfather, left his life in Germany with his family in tow for the shores of Philadelphia. Bolstered by courage and with optimism for what opportunities could await them in a land free of religious persecution, Peter would come to lay the foundation not only for the next ten generations of the Ruth family, but for American history as well.

After braving a harrowing voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1733, the Ruths transformed Pennsylvania forests into farmland and endured attacks during the French and Indian War. Their children and grandchildren shed their blood fighting for America's independence in the Revolution. In the Civil War, the family again made sacrifices to save the Union and free enslaved people.

Beyond the battlefield, pioneering Ruths helped settle America's heartland, pushing the country's boundaries farther west toward the Pacific. On a global stage, one ancestor won the Nobel Peace Prize, while other family patriots died fighting on foreign soil in both World Wars.

Told through firsthand accounts by those who were there, The Pursuit is stitched together like a handcrafted quilt, each chapter recounting dramatic tales of courage, loss, and achievement. It chronicles how the Ruths journeyed great distances and overcame daunting obstacles. It reveals the faith they embraced, the aspirations they pursued, the sorrows they suffered, and the joys they celebrated.

A sweeping historical biography of one family's quest for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," this intimate portrait is a must-read for anyone who will relish an eyewitness view of authentic American history.