Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna Ilg believes her future is rooted in the Amana community inhabited by devout Christians. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa,...

Gretchen Kohler, an Amana storekeeper's daughter, keeps her passion for writing a secret, but she shares her stories with a young reporter, putting her job, her reputation, and the love of her childhood beau in jeopardy.

"Ropes In The Kitchen" is a collection of vignettes of a rich oral history documented by the Hickey family. These stories include generations of military service from Wwi through Viet Nam.

" ... contains 150 of the most significant people and events in Waterloo's history."