Howard Forge Press
William and Hannah
Iron and Salt
A Howard Family Story
Author Information
Greg Buhrman
About the Author
Greg Buhrman is a writer, historian-at-heart, and biochemist by training. With a passion for family legacy and historical storytelling, he brings to life the rich, often-overlooked moments that shape generations. William and Hannah: Iron and Salt is inspired by a real Howard family account passed down through oral tradition, reimagined through years of research, historical curiosity, and narrative care.
Greg lives in North Carolina, where he balances science, storytelling, and fatherhood. His work invites young and old readers to reflect on how we are forged by hardship, bonded by love, and anchored by our choices.
Historical Fiction
About the Book
A disinherited nobleman.
A blacksmith’s daughter.
A family legacy forged in the fire and tested by war.
WILLIAM AND HANNAH: Iron and Salt is a sweeping historical novel
that follows Sir William Howard from the battlefields of the Seven Years War to
the revolutionary forges of colonial America.
Cast out by his family and stripped of his inheritance, William must
forge a new life on the far side of the world, where survival means labor,
humility and the unexpected strength of love.
Beside him stands Hannah, a blacksmith’s daughter, whose resilience
and quiet wisdom proves as essential as iron, and whose presence transforms
William’s exile into something far more enduring.
Education
For Educators
While fictionalized, this novel is grounded in real events of the 18th century and based on an oral family history. It is appropriate for readers aged 13 and up. Through the lens of war, family legacy, and personal growth, it explores themes of identity, duty, and resilience.
William and Hannah: Iron and Salt accurately depicts historical battles and relationships, but does not contain graphic content. It is ideal for discussion in literature, history, or social studies classrooms and may serve as a starting point for exploring colonial America, the Revolutionary War, and the personal costs of empire and independence.
Genealogy
Family History Research
This story is a reimagining of an actual Howard Family Story passed down through multiple generations. Family history research can be rewarding and challenging. On this blog page I will be telling you my story of Howard Family history research. Stay tuned!
Art Gallery
Experience the lives of William and Hannah through pictures. The picture shown here is Ezekial’s horse York, with his mother.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Just finished Greg Buhrman’s “William and Hannah Iron and Salt”. I found the book an enjoyable read that made me reflect about the importance of primogeniture in the founding of America. As a high school teacher I found the story provided a personal look into the motivations that brought people to the American colonies in the 18th century. Through the lives of Hannah, a peasant working class woman and William, a disinherited nobleman, one can see how colonial America offered opportunities to both classes of people. Through their dreams and their eyes, the reader can better appreciate how social customs of 18th century England help contribute to a revolutionary spirit in America. This book was very entertaining and I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys the Revolutionary period of American history.