“Old age is hell, but it’s something all of us have to go through.” These are the words that begin the first chapter of “Dobyns Chronicles,” a chapter which goes on to muse over the way stories are handed down by families through generations. This chapter is not only a great transition into the story of Charley Dobyns, but a wonderful setup for the themes of the book as well. Charley and his siblings excel when it comes to dealing with hardship. Charley has a thirst for living and is determined to keep his family together.The characters are vivid, and a wonderful amount of detail has been given to their backgrounds. Whether or not their lives have any basis in reality, their stories will certainly ring with an air of truth to anyone who decides to enjoy this piece of new literature about a family of a different era and how they pull together to meet their fate head on.