SOURCE: Margarick, P. “Vardis Fisher and His Testament of Man.” American Book Collector 14, no. 1 (September 1963): 20-4.

In the following essay, Margaret provides a brief overview of each of the twelve novels of Fisher's “Testament of Man” series.

In 1940, when I was 33, a fellow book collector who specialized in Modern American Firsts introduced me to Vardis Fisher's tetralogy. I say “introduced,” a bland word that utterly fails to convey the enthusiasm of the Vardis Fisher fan.

I read In Tragic Life, the first volume of Fisher's tetralogy and the effect was stunning. This was a brutally honest picture of the life of an extremely sensitive, pioneer boy. It was one of the most intensely interesting books that I had ever read.

The next couple of months were spent in a frantic effort to acquire first editions of the other three volumes. I found Passions Spin The Plot and We...