Just bought the latest book by Joy Neal Kidney, “The Immigrant and the Outlaw”. This is her fifth book with real stories about real people from the heartland of America, Iowa. What I enjoy most about these books is Joy’s sparse prose. There are no wasted adjectives to heighten the drama, just one carefully chosen word after another revealing the true drama of real life. You can smell the flowers, taste the food, and feel the pain of a family that at times was just hanging on. And there’s true joy (sorry) in the small pleasures and comforts experienced by this close knit family over several generations.

This latest volume goes back further into history while also bringing us forward toward the present generation. I can’t wait to read it, but I refuse to begin until I have a few spare hours because I know from my experience with Joy’s earlier books, once I pick it I won’t want to put it down.

I can’t put in a link here, so just go to Amazon and type in Joy Neal Kidney.