Who knows why the geese go barefoot?

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. This unique family history and genealogy also speaks to the current partisan divisions in America and serves as a timely reminder of our collective capacity for both tyranny and compassion as well as our ability to resist the baser instincts in ourselves and others - to "stake everything on a formidable gamble: that words are more powerful than munitions" (Albert Camus, "Neither Victims Nor Executioners"). The German Kühner (Knörr, Köener) surname is a derivative of Kühn and has been anglicized in a variety of ways including Keener, Kenner, and Kunner. Like the related English word keen (keener, keenest), the German kühn is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European ǵenə- or ǵnō- ‎(“to know”).

In this concise narrative with extensive references and supplemental online content, you will get to know nine generations of residents of the Catawba River Valley in North Carolina. But you will also be encouraged to reflect on our common humanity and embrace our rich diversity. In just over 10,000 words (a sixty minute read), the author uncovers a quarter millennium of genealogy and local history associated with his family while embracing an expansive vision of religious tolerance that “should motivate readers to examine their own values and better prepare them for the challenges facing their family, nation, and planet” (William Gay, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte).

ISBN: 978-0-9985905-0-9