As Bill and Ouida Coats moved throughout the Upper Midwest in the 1930s and 1940s, their family grew to include the author Deane and her siblings David, Doug, and Donna - all of whom contributed to this book. As Bill's job transferred him, the family followed: to South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Iowa. In the 1950s they moved to North Carolina, briefly to Maryland, and then settled back in North Carolina.

With this book, Deane Dierksen continues and expands her recent book Remembering the 1940s: The Coats Family in Minnesota and Iowa. Together with her siblings, she chronicles their family history with stories, photos, and a complete list of the many addresses where the family lived.