Young Thomas Ewing is willing to walk many miles on the Ohio frontier to borrow a book. When the pioneers of Ames Township announce a plan to acquire books for a subscription library, Thomas is eager to help provide pelts for the payment of the books. Along the way, he and his trusty companion Ring embark on adventures that Thomas will never forget, even when he becomes an influential man in the government of the United States of America. Cathy Mowrer's historically accurate text combined with Emily Bonnette Hendershot's captivating illustrations detail the early life of a remarkable man and the unique and industrious manner in which one frontier town provides books for its early settlers.