Just so you know a bit about me, I've been a truck driver, a farmer, an environmentalist, and a mother of sons all grown now. I'm a hugger of trees, lover of old folks, history, quirky science, and books. My mother's parents were restaurateurs and I like to try new recipes, although they don't always come out the way I expect. I'm deeply concerned about human resiliency and how families and communities contribute to it-or not. Because I grew up in one, I'm particularly interested in extended families who have close relationships with the places where they live. This novel seeks to bring together a family with the wisdom and support of several generations with a family with no ties. As a farm kid, I got a hands-on introduction to one three-quarter-section piece of land-not by riding over it on a tractor, but by walking every hill and fencerow. It's provided me with a strong concern for the health of that land and the entire planet. I must have my hands in the dirt, so every summer I disappear into my garden(s) where I grow fruits and vegetables as well as flowers. I live in town now, but my favorite parts of my double corner lot are the native grass and wildflower plots. They're nearly self-sustaining now. My writing qualifications include an awful lot of living, some of it hard. I've worked most of my adult life as a writer, more than a decade as a public information officer for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and later for Martin Luther Home Society. My work has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, including the MLH quarterly news magazine for which I provided most of the copy and photos. I have also published two award-winning memoirs, a collection of essays describing my home on the plains, and two novels related to this one.