Milbank and Mitchell, dissimilar in size and separated by more than two hundred miles, have more in common than might appear at first glance. In the first half of the twentieth century towns such as Milbank and Mitchell formed hubs for commerce, social activities, and culture. Eric Fowler and Sheila Delaney looked at their communities from different viewpoints, but their childhood and young adult memories of South Dakota share common themes.
A revealing examination of small-town life More than thirty million Americans live in small, out-of-the-way places. Many of them could have joined the vast majority of Americans who live in cities and suburbs. They could live closer to more lucrative careers and convenient shopping, a wider range of educational opportunities, and more robust health care. But they have opted to live differently. In Small-Town America, we meet factory workers, shop owners, retirees, teachers, clergy, and mayors—residents who show neighborliness in small ways, but who also worry about everything from school closings and their children's futures to the ups and downs of the local economy. Drawing on more than seven hundred in-depth interviews in hundreds of towns across America and three decades of census data, Robert Wuthnow shows the fragility of community in small towns. He covers a host of topics, including the symbols and rituals of small-town life, the roles of formal and informal leaders, the social role of religious congregations, the perception of moral and economic decline, and the myriad ways residents in small towns make sense of their own lives. Wuthnow also tackles difficult issues such as class and race, abortion, homosexuality, and substance abuse. Small-Town America paints a rich panorama of individuals who reside in small communities, finding that, for many people, living in a small town is an important part of self-identity.
When Liberty Watkins delivers flowers to the local auto shop owned by the Truax boys, who does she run into? Blade Truax. She hasn’t seen Blade in years, mainly because he’s been in prison serving a sentence based solely on the testimony of Libby’s sister, Mariam. Yes, Libby and Blade have history. In fact, that summer, right before he’d been charged with sexually assaulting her sister, Libby and Blade had been meeting secretly almost every day. And Libby had felt something for him—something major. She thought he’d felt it too. Was that why she still questioned her sister’s testimony, because she wanted so badly to believe in Blade? Or was it something else? Blade doesn’t trust women anymore, for obvious reasons, but he particularly doesn’t trust women with the last name Watkins. So, when Libby Watkins shows up at his family business, he isn’t happy. How dare she stand there pretending there had been nothing between them. Did she even remember that it was her he’d been waiting to meet that fateful night when his entire life went down the toilet? They should not be together. There is way too much pain down that road for any kind of redemption. But it looks like fate has other plans when, despite Blade’s objections, Libby is hired to be the auto shop’s new office assistant. The Small Town Boy's Redemption is the first book in the Small Town Boys series by award-winning author and Kindle All-Star, Jessie Gussman. Grab your copy today! Reviews for The Small Town Boy's Redemption: ★★★★★ "Yep, this book was amazing —from the first chapter to the epilogue. Libby and Blade’s story had me in a melted puddle." - Forevermooremom ★★★★★ "I stalk this author for her releases so I guess it's the good and approved kind of stalking. I always love her characters and the story and I get a welcome relief from all of the bedroom details other authors feel they need to make their stories work.” – Teri ★★★★★ “With an engaging plot and complex characters, it was a sweet, at times heartbreaking story about life, redemption, hope, new beginnings and the possibility of finding true love.” - Yvonne ★★★★★ "What a great story. I enjoyed the characters and how trials, bitterness, forgiveness and love are worked out in a really believable story line." - Kindle Customer ★★★★★ "The story is sometimes light & funny, then thought provoking...no matter where you are, it pulls you deeper & won't let you walk away." - Norma Books in The Small Town Boys series: The Small Town Boy's Redemption The Small Town Boy's Secret Romance The Small Town Boy's Second Chance
The stories of more than two dozen ordinary people who led extraordinary lives are told here with honesty and wit by a historian who has been writing about northwest Ohios history for more than 60 years. Some of the people chronicled in the book were famous in their day, but are virtually forgotten today. Others gained a measure of renown for their unusual lifestyles only after their deaths. And still others are receiving well-deserved recognition for the first time in these pages. Among those featured in the book are nationally known figures, like Teresa Brewer, Art Tatum, Joe E. Brown, Millie Benson, Brand Whitlock, Peter Navarre, Rose La Rose, Ed Libbey, Mike Owens and Edmund Osthaus, as well as highly-accomplished, but lesser known folks, such as Richard and Anna Mott, Grant Johnson, Doc and Ella Stewart, Ed Russell, Clyde and Carrie Tingley, Dr. Ernst and Therese Gottschalk, Mother Adelaide Sandusky, Jibby Jibilian, Jorgen Faldt Larsen, Colonel Christopher McLean, C. J. Hurrle and Marjorie Whiteman.
Foster can’t forget Holland’s betrayal. Foster Truax is standing firmly on the right side of the law – he’s grown up since his younger, wilder days, and is firmly committed to helping his brothers make the Richmond Rebel’s shop the best in Virginia. He’s no longer street racing. The past is the past, including the “girl” who rode beside him when he was Richmond’s unofficial champion street racer back in high school. Holland Powell has always been a good girl. She ran with the right crowd in school, got her college degree, a fabulous job, the right husband and had two children with that husband, before he walked out, taking her job, her kids and her self-esteem. When she’s involved in a car accident and needs a place to recover, she has no choice but to move back in with her mother and face the boy who represented her only walk on the wrong side of anything, and who she could never forget. The past lies between them, thick and heavy and impossible to overcome; except their attraction is there too, sparking and charging the air in the house they share. Is it possible they could develop a friendship to bridge the gap between trust and passion? Reviews for The Small Town Boy's Secret Romance: ★★★★★ "I love these rebel brothers with their protective natures." - nanc ★★★★★ "Jessie Gussman created two interesting characters with lots of dimensions, Foster and Holland. Their romance touched my heart and I was completely immersed in this second chance romance.” – Sara ★★★★★ “One more fantastic story from Jessie Gussman! I am loving this sweet bad boy series!” - Jan ★★★★★ "A story of healing and growth but also of understanding and acceptance. This author doesn't do the crazy strung out angst where a question can be asked and answered to clear the air. Nope her characters are real and honest and talk it out. Her books are easy light reads that will touch your heart and show God's way without the preaching and leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy." - Teri ★★★★★ "Many of us know of or witnessed someone in a situation like Holland's. Thankfully Jessie Gussman never shies away from a rough topic in her books. Instead she shines! This book to me demonstrates the message of forgiveness over bitterness." - Jan Books in The Small Town Boys series: The Small Town Boy's Redemption The Small Town Boy's Secret Romance The Small Town Boy's Second Chance
Delaney Newell knows what it means to be powerless. Against the family who wouldn’t support her. Against the man she loved who betrayed her. Against the gossips who won’t let her forget it. But after years of struggling, she’s finally getting her life together. Sean Murphy has spent years fighting forest fires. The former hotshot turned forester knows the growth that can sprout from unfathomable destruction. That’s what he sees in Delaney—someone who got leveled by life but didn’t stop growing. He's spent the past several months watching the shy red-head blossom, and he really likes what he sees. When Delaney is accused of a crime she didn’t commit, everyone is willing to believe the worst of her. Everyone except Sean. The woman he knows couldn’t possibly be behind the rash of fires that are keeping the volunteer fire department hopping. Someone is deliberately framing her. Will Delaney trust him enough to help her find the real culprit? *Please note, this book was originally published as CAN'T STAND THE RAIN. It has been retitled.*
The road to redemption Struggling single mom Corinne Dawson doesn't have time for fun. She's too busy making a new life for her son and trying to avoid being dragged down by the ghost of who she used to be. But when an accident knocks her boss out of a local "Dancing With The Stars" style fund-raiser, she finds herself face-to-face with the worst mistake from her past. One slow step forward Attorney Tucker McGee has always seen past the prickly exterior of this former mean girl. He knows there's more to the story than simple spite. When they get partnered for Dancing With Wishful, he finally gets the chance to act on the spark he's felt since she moved home. But getting past her regrets just might be the biggest challenge he's ever faced. Two quicksteps back As the competition heats up, so do the feelings between them. Will Tucker be able to convince Corinne that she's more than the sum of her mistakes? Or will she be forced to leave town to find a new beginning without him?
Dear Diary, Sam MacInnes is back in town. He's still so gorgeous, but there's a haunted look in his eyes. People say he's a cop now—he must see some awful things on the job. I used to have the biggest crush on him! He never noticed me, but I wrote all about him in my old diary. My hair curls every time I think of someone reading it! All those dreams of passionate kisses and more… Can you imagine that getting out? Only problem is, the local rumor mill says that he's remodeling the very house where I hid the diary. I've just got to get it back before Sam finds it—what would he think of me if he discovered all my secret desires?
