Who were the 19th century immigrants that tamed the Midwest with honor, risking their lives in places where others dared not go?
Famine and political unrest in 1860 Germany pushed the Gutthard family across the Atlantic Ocean and into New York, then to Baltimore and the Civil War and finally to Iowa. The Homesteaders is the Gutthards' saga. The story of their arduous journey and hard-won success unfolds through a cast of remarkably inspirational characters, from the women who sowed their souls into the soil to the brave and resilient children. A stirring evocation of the Iowa territory, where every character is a hero, and their love, unwavering grit, and sacrifice link them together unconditionally.
Excerpt from Chapter 8
The late March sun had finally rid the land of its frozen crust. Rugs hung on fences, letting go of winter's dust, and men brushed away the grime from their workhorses. Populating the banks of the Cedar River, ducks sat atop eggs beneath budding bushes. Zigzagging between brittle wildflower stems and tree limbs, sparrows busily built nests of their own.
Preparing for the task ahead, Freda tucked Emma safely inside of her gear. She'd put on gloves, hat, and netting once near the hives in the field. Lina stood by, in awe of the process. "I can barely believe this is real. It makes my heart jumpy!" She was proud of what her cousin had accomplished--and what she was getting ready to do.
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Freda never could've predicted that her once shy and anxious daughter would choose to tend bees of all things.
Emma smiled. "I don't have a speck of fear, Mama."
