Built to Last a Lifetime

About the Book

This is a novel of old Kentucky, set in the late 1700s and early 1800s, at about the time that Daniel Boone was making his reputation. It was a time when people from the eastern states were moving into the Kentucky territory and staking a claim on land, providing that they built a shelter, cleared some land and raised a crop.

This is an historical novel, which means that the history and setting are accurate but the people are fictional. The dialect used in this book reflects the language style that was spoken by the early settlers in Kentucky.

It should be noted that while there is adventure in this book, there is a minimum of descriptive violence and an absence of sexual content. It was written for young readers, say from ten to adult years. It is an excellent way to read and enjoy early American History, with the intensity of a good novel.

About the Author

Ernest Matuschka grew up in a small town in rural Nebraska. He grew up during the War Years and owned a single shot 12 gauge shotgun. As a youngster he hunted and fished and kept the family supplied with pheasant, duck and fish. Shortly after graduating from college he entered the Air Force and served as an Intelligence Officer during the Korean War. Following his separation from active duty, he taught school in Colorado, California, Paris, France and Germany. It was during the two years in Mannheim, Germany that he met his writing partner, Betty Durbin.

Ernest completed his PhD in psychology and taught at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for twenty years while at the same time he had a small private practice. Ernest has many articles published in professional journals, written four books on family genealogy and translated one book from German to English. He retired from teaching in 1990 and since that time he and his wife have moved to Arizona.

Elizabeth Durbin is a retired teacher. She was born in Wisconsin and because her father was an Army officer the family moved often settling finally in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She earned both her bachleor's degree and master degrees at Western Kentucky University. After teaching at the university for a year, Betty began a series of assignments at military bases, first at Fort Knox, Kentucky ending in Mannheim, Germany. Returning to the States, she taught in California and the last 24 years in Kentucky. Her specialties were Art and English.

A mother of six, Betty told stories to her children. Later she put them into writing so the children could read them. In the summer, she lives in her mountain home near the Barren River Lake. In the winter she lives in Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Cole Matuschka, grandson of the author, produced all of the illustrations in the book. Cole lives independently in Jefferson, Indiana.