“While I am not related to the author of Leora’s Early Years, I feel like a long-lost cousin after reading her books. Especially in this latest book, Joy Kidney’s weaving of her families’ stories into a colorful tapestry that can help the reader appreciate their own families’ stories. Leora’s Early Years is a heartwarming narrative of real people who lived real lives in real places that we can find on a map. We of the 21st century have much to learn from the lives of Joy’s family of the 19th and early-20th centuries.”

Arvid Huisman, former newspaper publisher, author of More Country Roads, an anthology selected from more than 900 of his delightful Country Road columns, which thankfully continue today in Iowa History Journal. 

His compelling story in the latest Iowa History Journal (Nov./Dec. 2022) is “The greatest of these is love: Sharing my Christmas snapshots.”

Retired as Director of Development, Community Relations and Media Relations for The Salvation Army in Des Moines, Arvid has had hundreds of speaking engagements and still enjoys giving programs.

Arvid doesn’t have a website, but here’s an interesting interview from a while back with Aaron Putze.