Just Food Co-op is excited to welcome Beth Dooley, author of The Northern Heartland Cookbook, for a book talk and signing on Saturday, March 3 to kick off the Eat Local Challenge.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dooley will be signing copies of her book at the front of the store during the Eat Local Tasting. Books will be available for purchase at Just Food during that time by Monkey See Monkey Read.
Then, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dooley will give a short talk about her cookbook and her thoughts on local eating in the Just Food Community Room.
Please reserve your seat for the talk at the Just Food customer service desk at 516 Water St S in Northfield, or online at http://justfood.coop/events.
“‘Eat Local’ means a lot of different things to different people,” says Dooley. “To me, it means paying attention to light, temperature and the land’s bounty. When our appetites follow the arc of the sun, we bring balance to our plates. Join me in a discussion into all of the reasons why eating locally makes sense—flavor, health and nutrition, environment, economy, food safety, land preservation, community—and how eating local creates a true home.”
This event is the kickoff to the Winter Eat Local Challenge at Just Food Co-op. Community members are challenged to eat 50% of their diet from the five-state area from March 3 through March 10. Other events during the week include a class on shopping for and cooking with bulk foods, with an emphasis on local items; a class on honey bees, and an opportunity to volunteer at Thursday’s Table with the Northfield Local Food Action Network. The challenge culminates in CSA Day at Just Food, on March 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where people can meet local farmers and purchase a share in the harvest of the upcoming growing season.
Visit Just Food Co-op or www.justfood.coop to sign up for the Winter Eat Local Challenge.
A couple months ago I paid a visit to FIT to be TRI’d (just after it moved to the Tiny’s Building in downtown Northfield) to ask owner Tom Bisel if he could recommend a base layer that would help me deal with the problem of sweating when mountain biking in cold weather.
He didn’t hesitate to recommend the Craft Pro Zero Extreme base layer because it not only is very effective at wicking moisture away from the body but it dries in 8 minutes. Sure, Tom… 8 minutes? I didn’t think it possible. But it’s turned out to be the best piece of sports clothing I’ve ever purchased. It’s wicking is amazingly effective and it really does dry that fast. Read this review for more details.
Last Sunday I tossed my 20 year-old lightweight snowboarding jacket into the wash (I’ve been using it as my mountain biking jacket) and it pretty much disintegrated.
So back to FIT to be TRI’d I went this week to see what Tom would recommend for a waterproof, ventilated jacket that I could use during the cool/cold months of the year and that would resist abrasion. I walked away with the Sugoi RPM Jacket and promptly crashed on the ice while riding the upper Arb. It resisted. We’ll see how it does when I race at the Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout next week and then during the spring rains which we’ll hopefully have soon.
Tom’s been one of the people to get the Cannon Valley Velo Club off the ground in the past year and is currently the president. It’s looking like the club’s going to cater to mountain bikers this year, too. More to come on that soon.
Apparently it’s good to be liked. I’m new to this whole Facebook thing. But to those in the know, liking is the thing to do. So make you your way over to our Facebook page and like the monkey. All kinds of good things will happen. You’ll be the first to find out about all the great sales we have, unless we post them elsewhere before Facebook. You’ll be the first to find out about readings and other happenings at the store. That is if we don’t post it elsewhere first. Or the rumor mill catches wind of something and leaks it to the press. I guess my point is we will update a lot of new and cool things on our Facebook page. Assuming I can remember the password. It’s not my dog’s name.
This made me laugh. Not lol, more of a chuckle than a lol.
25. No matter how many books you’ve read in the past, you will feel woefully un-well read within a week of opening the store. You will also feel wise at having found such a good way to spend your days.
My sweetie’s name was drawn for a kitchen set from Rooms by Tagg 2 and when we went to pick it up on Tuesday, Northfielder Victoria Langer was there to pick up her gift certificate from Fine Threads.
Today was a Valentine’s Day lunch (more wine, jeesh) at the Ole Store Restaurant where we had our favorites: Ahi Tuna Sliders and the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap. I also smoked a french fry.
The Tokyo Grill ("Japanese Steakhouse") opened in the old Wendy’s on S. Hwy 3 last summer. It has become a favorite sushi restaurant for me and Robbie and, judging by the crowds, many other Northfielders, including (last Saturday eve):
“This smoothly written debut . . . captures the innocence and impetuousness of youth…. Wurtele carefully looks beyond religious and cultural stereotypes and her heroine’s character growth is moving and realistic.” –Booklist
“Offers a strong sense of time and place.” –Publishers Weekly
“Set in the danger and drama of Italy during the Second World War, The Golden Hour is an enthralling story of love, family, and courage. Margaret Wurtele has delivered a lush, suspenseful, and thoroughly engaging read.” –Lynn Sheene, author of The Last Time I Saw Paris
World War II-set fiction captivates readers with its irresistible combination of fear and hope set against one of the most turbulent times in history. New American Library is proud to publish talented debut novelist Margaret Wurtele, whose beautiful and moving story is a testament to the indomitable spirit of the people struggling to survive during the strife of the World War II era. The Golden Hour begins in the summer of 1944 in Tuscany and portrays love and hope in a war-torn nation. In a story woven with historical detail, Wurtele explores the emotion, fear, and hope that permeate the rarely explored landscape of World War II Italy.
Seventeen-year-old Giovanna Bellini sees firsthand the devastating effects of the war. Following the Italian government’s peace agreement with the Allies, Giovanna watches as the German military invades her town, forming a hostile occupying army. At first, Giovanna is fascinated by the Nazi officers, but as the war strips away Giovanna’s naïveté and harsh realities are exposed, her brother Giorgio recruits her to aid in the Italian Resistance. When she is asked to hide wounded Jewish freedom fighter Mario Rava, Giovanna finds herself falling for the brave young man. The world around her is in constant turmoil and when terrible truths are revealed, threatening the lives of everyone Giovanna cares about, she is forced to make unimaginable sacrifices and decisions.
Margaret Wurtele is the author of two memoirs. She and her husband split their time between Minnesota and Napa Valley, where they are owners of Terra Valentine Winery.
A Good American
“A Good American is a quixotic immigration tale wrapped in exquisite finery, from the opening promise of everlasting music, to the closing declaration that one’s own ordinary life is anything but ordinary. Don’t miss this new voice in American fiction.” —Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, Kansas
“Stunning, just stunning. Meet the Meisenheimer family through the eyes of grandson James as he relates the story of his immigrant family through nearly a century of American history. Peppered with remarkable characters: a jazz trumpeter who cooks a mean gumbo, a promiscuous school teacher, a dwarf… need I say more? You will laugh out loud, then cry your eyes out. This novel is priceless, and a gem of a read.” —Carol Katsoulis, Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, Illinois
An uplifting novel about the families we create and the places we call home.
It is 1904. When Frederick and Jette must flee her disapproving mother, where better to go than America, the land of the new? Originally set to board a boat to New York, at the last minute, they take one destined for New Orleans instead (“What’s the difference? They’re both new”), and later find themselves in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri. Not speaking a word of English, they embark on their new life together.
Beatrice is populated with unforgettable characters: a jazz trumpeter from the Big Easy who cooks a mean gumbo, a teenage boy trapped in the body of a giant, a pretty schoolteacher who helps the young men in town learn about a lot more than just music, a minister who believes he has witnessed the Second Coming of Christ, and a malevolent, bicycle-riding dwarf.
A Good American is narrated by Frederick and Jette’s grandson, James, who, in telling his ancestors’ story, comes to realize he doesn’t know his own story at all. Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, A Good American is a novel about being an outsider—in your country, in your hometown, and sometimes even in your own family.
Alex George is an Englishman who lives, works, and writes in Missouri. He studied law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris before moving to the United States in 2003.
I arrived after closing last night but just in time to see building owner/proprietor Linda Schneewind and friends celebrating the opening of her new store, The Local Joint (Facebook page) at 314 Division. Linda’s got two dozen vendors (she’s looking for 6 more; email her) displaying their handmade and vintage goods in the former Digs space and who share responsibility for staffing it.
According to this article on Nfld Patch, Not Another Digs (includes a 16-photo slideshow):
Schneewind is in charge of the merchandising and will work in the store one day a week. She’ll spend the rest of her week in her Minneapolis business. “Essentially, it’s kind of like Digs is producing this event,” she said. Unlike antique malls where vendors have individual displays, goods at the Local Joint are displayed based on aesthetics. In other words, items are put where they look best in the store.
Or did Newt Gingrich’s campaign pull a fast one on Ron Paul’s campaign? Inquiring minds want to know. Click the screenshot of the Northfield News front page for a closer look.
I noticed yesterday that the Gateway Ministry Center has opened next to Cost Cutters in Heritage Square along S. Hwy 3. Back in 2007, I blogged that they had opened Northfield Healing Rooms in Heritage Square, also selling books, art, health products, coffee, and art. Steve Roberts and Rebecca Roberts were the pastors, according to a listing in the Northfield News. Their focus at that time:
Our mission is to help unite, equip and empower the body of Christ to promote healing as a vital part of ministry. Our focus is on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to work through us to heal the sick and infirmed.
Now they seem to have a different focus, though it’s not clear to me what it is. Steve Roberts is still listed as the pastor but there’s no mention of Rebecca Roberts. Their site also has a Gateway Youth Ignited page though this may be a discontinued program as their website doesn’t have a navigation option to it.
Shannon Hyland-Tassava will read from her new book The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids and Chaos Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012 at 7:30 pm. A year ago Shannon read from Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career and the Conflict of Modern Motherhood. Tornis an anthology of essays by women about motherhood. Now Shannon has published her own book and we are happy to have her read again.
The Northfield News recently published an article about Shannon and her book. Here’s an excerpt:
Yet the job, as many know, is not glamorous nor is it a piece of cake. For many stay-at-home parents, finding a network of friends to share parenting ideas with, as Patterson did through Early Childhood Family Education, helps ease the trying times.
One such friend she encountered was Shannon Tassava, a Northfield clinical psychologist and stay-at-home mom who recently took the sharing of advice to the next level. Tassava’s book, “The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids & Chaos” has recently been published by Booktrope Editions.
February 1, 2012 – Northfield music favorites Meredith Fierke, Steve McKinstry and Dylan McKinstry will play a concert in tandem with Twin Cities legend-in-the-making Chris Koza for a night of intimate, acoustic, atmospheric pop-folk music at the Northfield Arts Guild on Friday, February 10 at 8pm.
Fierke and the McKinstrys will be previewing material from their highly anticipated new album which will be released this spring. “This is by far the best music I’ve ever made,” says Fierke. “Steve and Dylan each bring something unique to the table, and together we’re creating something that I’m very excited about. I can’t wait for people to hear these songs.”
Fierke’s previous album, 2008’s The Procession, garnered so much attention that Minneapolis radio station Cities 97 placed her song Train’s Song on the prestigious Cities Sampler. Later that year, she was named Northfield’s best performing musician by the Northfield Entertainment Guide. The extra amount of time she and the McKinstrys have taken in recording their new album has created a lot of conversation amongst the Northfield music scene. “People have been wondering what they’re up to,” said local music promoter Rich Larson. “I’ve had a chance to hear most of the new album. The extra time and work really shows. Every song is a knock out. It’s going to be a real treat to hear this music in a great room like the one at the NAG.”
The show at the NAG is the second of a month-long tour of small coffee houses and arts venues that Koza is making throughout Minnesota. This comes fast on the heels of a two month West Coast tour with his band Rogue Valley. “I love seeing road warrior performers like Chris,” said Larson. “The best time to catch a singer/songwriter is in the middle of a long touring cycle like the one he’s in right now. He’s had some opportunity to flesh out his music in front of a lot of different audiences, which is really the best way to develop a song. This is going to be a very good night of music.”
“The thing that really strikes me is the $10 ticket price,” said Jessica Paxton of KYMN Radio. “You’d pay $25-$30 for this exact show at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis or the Fitzgerald in St. Paul. And, frankly, the NAG is a far more intimate setting. For fans of good music, this isn’t bargain. It’s a steal.”
The Northfield Arts Guild is located at 304 Division Street South. Doors will open at 7:30, and the music will start at 8:00. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at www.left-handedentertainment.com or at the door the night of the show. For more information, contact the Northfield Arts Guild at (507) 645-8877 or Rich Larson at (612)756-0490.
I don’t have time to summarize what happened (hopefully, ED Megan Tsui will do that!) but I’m guessing there will be a website within a month, as Sean Hayford O’Leary and I volunteered to get that going.
Up a short flight of stairs, inside a former bank in a small rural town 100 miles northwest of Detroit, there is a special place, rich in history, and 100,000 brides-to-be from across the Midwest have made pilgrimages to find it. Just 10 foot by 8 foot, it has floor-to-ceiling mirrors on every wall, carrying the brides’ images to infinity. It is called the Magic Room.
The town is Fowler, Michigan, a middle-class community with 1,100 residents – and 2,500 wedding dresses. The building is Becker’s Bridal, home to each of those dresses, a figurative blizzard of white. Jeffrey Zaslow takes readers to this remarkable small-town bridal shop to explore the hopes and dreams parents have for their daughters. He weaves this true story using a reporter’s research and a father’s heart. Jeff came to Fowler not just to write about wedding gowns and what they represent. He came to understand the women wearing them, their fears and yearnings, and through them, he tells a larger story about the love between parents and daughters today.
In this magical book, Zaslow examines women on the brink of commitment, whose stories, secrets, and memories will pull you in from the moment they first see their reflection in this iconic room.
Jeffrey Zaslow is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Girls from Ames. Through his writing, he has told the stories of some of the most inspirational people of our time. He is co-author, with Chesley Sullenberger, of Highest Duty, and with Randy Pausch, of The Last Lecture, the #1 New York Times bestseller now translated into forty-eight languages. Zaslow is currently collaborating with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, on their memoir. He lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, Sherry, and daughters Jordan, Alex, and Eden.
Carleton professor Jeff Ondich is a GBM regular and this morning he stopped by my corner office to alert me to the ice circles forming below the Ames Mill dam. I blogged about ice circles back in 2009 but haven’t seen them since.
Jeff’s photos (left and center) of the ice circles with his smartphone turned out a lot better than those from my smartphone. However, he really does have zombie eyes from spending too much time in front of a computer. In addition to being a computer science professor, he owns a language software/app company in Dinkytown called Ultralingua; they also have word game app called Accio. Now if we could only convince him and his Twin Cities-based employees to relocated to Northfield. Hmmm.
By Bridgette Hallcock, on January 25, 2012, 11:47 pm
We are seeking an enthusiastic, sales-oriented individual to join our team. Prior customer service experience and recent cash handling skills are required. Position is available at our Premier Banks Northfield location. Position will average 30 hrs/wk. including Saturday mornings. Schedule may vary every week.
Interested applicants may apply in person or send resume to Premier Banks, 112 East Fifth St., Northfield, MN 55057 or e-mail resume to hr@premierbanks.com.
The idea of the show was to test "the old claim that the Porsche 928 could go faster if driven backwards. To do so, they flipped a 928′s body to face the wrong direction."
The car is currently in Dennison, stored by the Clutchmen Car Club and on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. it will be transported to Car Time Auto Center in Dundas.
Host Will Healy and co-host David Henly celebrated the 3rd anniversary of The Long Way Home tonight at KYMN’s studios. Some of Healy’s former colleagues from Over and Back stopped by for an in-studio performance: Stephen Kampa, harmonica; Craig Wasner, keyboard; Michael Hildebrandt, fiddle. Here’s a one-minute video clip:
I noticed this week that the downtown storefront for Ali Hohn Photography is empty. A month ago, Northfield Patch did a story titled Hoffman’s Photography Closed? It’s been a while but Stone Cottage Photo had a studio on Bridge Square. I’m not sure what’s happening with Green LightHouse on Division above Champion Sports but their website is dead. And Harmon’s Photography in the lower level of the Nutting Block has disappeared.
Peter Seebach (Seebs): John, someone forwarded me a thing which helps explain why I do not believe the current situation provides adequate legal protections: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =ah4ke16g1DI Watch that, and then tell me with a straight...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): California in general has very high rates of “drug use”. And frankly, there is no place in the US that can be meaningfully called “very accepting” to gays. More accepting than others, sure. Why, I...
David Henson: Peter, you have the Internet you do the research. Use San Francisco as a baseline (an accepting place) – gays there have very high rates of depression and drug use.
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Those are fascinating beliefs, but conveniently for us, the research has already been done, and they’re wrong. Legalizing gay marriage has no effect on the observed incidence of homosexuality, and the concept of...
David Henson: John, I understand sexuality to be a continuum and not a hard and discrete fact. I earnestly believe that if gay marriage is approved many more people will experiment with gay sex and some numbers will get AIDS (and depression and...
Griff Wigley: Good turnout last night for the Cannon Valley Mountain Bike Team meeting at the high school. I’ve blogged a summary with the ppt presentations.
Griff Wigley: Jordan Osterman, the new Sports Editor for the Northfield News, scooped me on Saturday. I’m glad! Northfield high school mountain bike team forming As a club sport, mountain biking would have no official affiliation with either...
Griff Wigley: Good suggestion, Curt. I’ll do that for next week’s blurb. I have been verbally emphasizing the importance of having girls on the team, especially since their points on race days count more than boys’ points. Other...
Curt Benson: Hey Griff, I wonder if you shouldn’t put a bit more emphasis on the idea that you’re recruiting both boys and girls for this team. And that the scores for both the boys and girls make up a team score. I think that in the...
Griff Wigley: It should be noted that this team does not yet exist! So this meeting is for those student-athletes (and their parents) who might be interested in joining this new team.
Griff Wigley: Suzy Rook has a sidebar to today’s Nfld News update on last night’s Council meeting. Excerpt: The city administrator and finance director say they have asked for the information on several occasions, including last month...
john george: Living where we do, it is only a few blocks walk to North Street and a grand view of the sunsets. Also, with our neighbors’ mature white pines & spruce, our covered deck affords outdoor enjoyment with a fair amount of...
Griff Wigley: Props to the newspaper and Suzy Rook for mentioning LoGro twice in the story: Fire Department officials, including Fire Chief Gerry Franek, did not respond to several requests from the News for association financial records or...
Griff Wigley: Posted to Northfield News at 1pm: Ethical questions arise over Northfield Fire Relief Association expenses Donations made to Northfield Fire Relief Association aren’t public dollars, but that hasn’t extinguished city...
Griff Wigley: Curt/Robert, There’s a summary of the Rescue Squad on Page 21 of the 2009 NFD report to the City. It doesn’t mention that there’s a Rescue Squad Association. The last paragraph states: The Northfield Rescue Squad is...
Robert Palmquist: If Hvistendahl’s motivation was to keep the financials from getting known, his submitting a memo like that just really backfired. I agree, why would these financials be such a secret??? And why did the NRSA hire a lawyer to...
Curt Benson: So Hvistendahl has found another place to wet his beak. You ask a good question, “Why is it important that the City not know the Northfield Rescue Squad Association financials?”
Jim Haas: Happens to me a lot. So much that my lovely wife had to coin a term for it: she says I have datelexia.
norman butler: Since coming to my adopted country 16 years ago I have observed, amongst other things, that not putting the day with the date is both common and peculiar to Northfield (MN? USA?).
John Thomas: Just a reminder, advance tickets for Girls Night Out 2012 can be purchased on The Grand’s website at http://www.thegrandnorthfield. com/public-events. Your tickets will then be available at a special “Will Call” at...
Liz Reppe: This is a great place to buy plants! Jeni is very knowledgeable and they are both really helpful. You get great service and plant expertise, but the prices are not higher than other places in town.
bill metz: While most of how Jake is being remembered revolves around, and rightly so, his great and wonderful talent as an artist and teacher and the works of sculpture he has left for our and the next generations enjoyment, I have had the...
Ross Currier: It was an honor for me and the NDDC to work with Jake. His pieces of sculpture in our community send a powerful visual message that Northfield is an Art Town. I still marvel at his clever and creative approach to building social and...
paul krause: The memorial service will be held at 11am. Doors to the Chapel will open at 10am for a chance to visit with family members and friends to share memories of our dear friend. Anyone who would like to view the documentary Harvest (which...
kiffi summa: Come on, Griff… you say you’re “more than a little clueless about about investments” but you “just happened to notice”… and from what you said, were reading analytically, etc etc… Once...
Griff Wigley: I’m more than a little clueless about investments but I noticed on page 14 in the April 24 Council packet that the Fire Relief Association has 85% of its pension portfolio in stocks. Isn’t that a bit risky/aggressive for...
Griff Wigley: Has there been any media reporting on the intergovernmental meeting in Bridgewater Township that was held on April 25 re: the Rural Fire Protection District and the City of Northfield?
Jim Mangan: I noticed this morning that a few of the newly planted trees along South Highway 3 have a pronounced lean. Could it be storm damage?
Ross Currier: It’s great that someone is enhancing the connection between downtown and uptown. I know they coordinated their work with MNDoT, City staff, and the Streetscape Task Force. Uh, raise your trowels in a toast to the Northfield...
Vicki Serreno: I wish I’d known – this is my neighborhood since I left Northfield in 2010. I’d have shown up to support them.
Kathie Galotti: My neighbor and sometimes babysitter Maggie Kennedy appears in this video as well! Go Maggie, and Cliff and Sophie and Parker and everyone else! Well done, guys!
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Heh, we had those when I was in college. Guess we’re making progress, they’re starting years earlier now!
Sandy Vesledahl: Thanks for blogging our garage sale Griff! We are at 2018 Jefferson Rd, Suite 1, thanks to the Jasnoch Family for allowing us to use the space. We will be there until 5:00 today and again from 8-2 on Saturday. We’ve had a...
Bright Spencer: I have an 8 year old dog that has not been neutered, has not reproduced and never been out unleashed except in our yard. It costs nothing to care for your pet properly.
Bright Spencer: To see this makes me so happy! Best of luck to you!
Peter Seebach (Seebs): For what it’s worth, I’m pretty happy with the whole process so far, although we found exciting new things out about the land development code, such as “the rules for calculating how tall a building is for...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Not a hot tub, a swimming pool. One of those backyard pools you can get at k-mart, and the greenhouse is so we can use it a couple months earlier in spring and later in fall.
Arlen Malecha: I wish more establishments had outdoor seating & dining. Now that our offices (Coldwell Banker South Metro www.CBSouthMetro.com are downtown, I love to see people sitting and dining outside. It is fun to walk up and down...
Sean Hayford O'Leary: I would say the current configuration of Division Street makes me grateful not everyone is doing it. Sidewalk dining brings a lot of livelihood to the street — but I’ll admit that I’ve been occasionally...
Griff Wigley: Rebecca, there are several Northfield eating and drinking establishments that have outdoor dining with tables and chairs, serving alcohol, but not SIDEWALK dining. Downtown ones that come to mind: The Tavern, Chapati, The Cow, Froggy...
Rebecca Bliss: Timely post, Griff -I didn’t realize this. I was just commenting to my husband about how nice it would be to dine al fresco now that the weather is getting warmer. Guess this is another discovery for the new...
Patty Gallivan: MOST Northfield volunteers are waiting for someone who DARES boost a program with evidence of effectiveness to come forward with leadership to actually make a difference with students in our Northfield schools. Make sure to let us...
Just Food Co-op is excited to welcome Beth Dooley, author of The Northern Heartland Cookbook, for a book talk and signing on Saturday, March 3 to kick off the Eat Local Challenge. 
This event is the kickoff to the Winter Eat Local Challenge at Just Food Co-op. Community members are challenged to eat 50% of their diet from the five-state area from March 3 through March 10. Other events during the week include a class on shopping for and cooking with bulk foods, with an emphasis on local items; a class on honey bees, and an opportunity to volunteer at Thursday’s Table with the Northfield Local Food Action Network. The challenge culminates in CSA Day at Just Food, on March 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where people can meet local farmers and purchase a share in the harvest of the upcoming growing season.
“This smoothly written debut . . . captures the innocence and impetuousness of youth…. Wurtele carefully looks beyond religious and cultural stereotypes and her heroine’s character growth is moving and realistic.” –Booklist
Seventeen-year-old Giovanna Bellini sees firsthand the devastating effects of the war. Following the Italian government’s peace agreement with the Allies, Giovanna watches as the German military invades her town, forming a hostile occupying army. At first, Giovanna is fascinated by the Nazi officers, but as the war strips away Giovanna’s naïveté and harsh realities are exposed, her brother Giorgio recruits her to aid in the Italian Resistance. When she is asked to hide wounded Jewish freedom fighter Mario Rava, Giovanna finds herself falling for the brave young man. The world around her is in constant turmoil and when terrible truths are revealed, threatening the lives of everyone Giovanna cares about, she is forced to make unimaginable sacrifices and decisions.
Yet the job, as many know, is not glamorous nor is it a piece of cake. For many stay-at-home parents, finding a network of friends to share parenting ideas with, as Patterson did through Early Childhood Family Education, helps ease the trying times. 
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