This work investigates the ancestral origins and familial connections of the author, Christopher Fry, through a detailed examination of his maternal lineage. The author, a noted playwright, utilizes personal records, correspondence, and genealogical data to reconstruct the lives of his grandmother, Emma Louisa Lowe Fry, and his mother, Emma Marguerite Hammond. By tracing these specific branches, the book seeks to document the social and domestic history of the Hammond, Fry, and Harris families across two centuries.

Readers and historians often note the meticulous nature of the genealogical data provided in the appendices. The text is regarded as a specialized resource for those interested in the specific lineage of the Fry and Hammond families during the 19th and 20th centuries.