This book, the first of two volumes, describes the early life of Esther Brewer Mills who grew up on an Iowa farm in the early 1900's in a family of modest means and no family history of higher education. But, Esther at an early age decided to pursue a college education and, unlike most college women of her era who majored in traditional "feminine" curricula, she majored in Economics at Iowa State College. Financially, she worked and struggled her way through college having to drop out for a year in order to earn enough to be able to finish her degree and graduate. While at Iowa State, she met a young entomology student, Harlow Mills, and they eventually married. Following a short stay in Texas, they returned to Iowa where they had two sons, David (the author) and Gary. They lived for a year in Yellowstone Park where Harlow was a Ranger-Naturalist before moving to Bozeman, Montana where Harlow accepted a position as a professor and they set down roots. Volume One describes Esther's life up to the beginning of World War II and the birth of her daughter, Judy.