Pene-Lope and Anti-Gone

Penelope and Antigone
Travails of a German Immigrant Family

Years ago, the author was acting in a college play and mispronounced Penelope as Pene-lope. The cast chided then laughed. The author thought the mispronouncing was worth remembering.

Years later, when studying Greek mythology, the author came across the character Antigone and realized that using Penelope and Antigone as characters might prove to be humorous. Twin sister, but what about a surname?

Once again, the author goofed. When reading about German philosophers, he read Goethe but mispronounced Goethe, rhyming it with sloth. Your author’s twins, Penelope and Antigone Goethe, now needed a book to come alive.

The author, also the family genealogist, traced his Eplers back to Germany to an area known as the Palantate. He then realized that the Eplers and the Goethes could be friends immigrating to the colonies together. Therefore, we have the travails of two German immigrant families. Johannes Goethe was the first of ten generations of Goethes descending down to Penelope and Antigone Goethe.

During the tale of their travails, they faced many hardships: the ocean voyage, indentured servitude, second class citizenship, internment during the two world wars, and kidnapping by an evil civil servant.