From the back cover of The Immigrant and the Outlaw: “For years, Joy Neal Kidney carried a story she felt called to tell—a World War II family history marked by love, courage, and devastating loss.
“In the journey toward writing that book, she discovered something more: a gift for telling true American stories. Beginning her freelance career in her forties, Joy has published dozens of narratives in newspapers, magazines, and through the popular podcast Our American Stories.
“The Immigrant and the Outlaw gathers some of her most compelling work—stories rooted in Iowa soil yet echoing far beyond it. Tales of grit, heritage, sacrifice, and the quiet heroism woven through everyday lives.
“These are stories worth remembering.”
The idea of gathering my earlier stories together in one book came about while I enjoyed other authors’ enjoyable collections, which were mostly first published elsewhere. Here are my favorites.
These stories are also worth remembering, and they would make terrific gifts!
More County Roads by Arvid Huisman
I’ve enjoyed Arvid Huisman’s delightful stories for years. My sister taught art in Creston, where he was the newspaper publisher several years ago. She was always bringing his columns to share. I later discovered he’d published this compelling compilation of his stories.
Huisman is retired after a lengthy career in the newspaper industry and is a columnist for the Iowa History Journal. “County Roads” is the first page I turn to in the magazine. Arvid has a lively sense of humor, a great memory for details, and such endearing stories. More Country Roads is available for $16.50 (includes shipping) from Huisman Communications, 9602 Bishop Drive, #59, West Des Moines, IA 50266.
Look Unto the Hills: The Stories of Growing Up in Rural East Tennessee by Dennis L. Peterson
Dennis is the middle child, and the introvert, in a rural family who lived across the road from the farm of his grandparents, Paw and Nannie. The author spins such endearing and humorous stories about his growing up years–being hit with a shovel and getting cleaned up with Lava soap, needing stitches before they could go camping. (The doctor said go ahead, use Merthiolate, which Dennis had an allergic reaction to.)
One story is about the thrill of being chosen a safety patrol boy, and the power and authority that came with it. Finding an old bayonet and its story. His younger sister getting her head caught in a colander stand. His older teasing brother trying to teach him to drive.
A favorite is Nannie’s Hands, which Dennis recorded for Our American Stories. His Paw Summers was a storyteller, which is where his grandson soaked up history and heritage, and storytelling. You may order this delightful memoir here.
Where I come From: Stories from the Deep South by Rick Bragg
“I guess nostalgia is our sanctuary in sorry times,” Rick says. Where I Come From is filled with nostalgia, with a goodly dose of fondly poking fun. Most of these delightful stories were first published in Southern Living. Follow Rick and his mother, a child of the Depression and a survivor of the foothills of the Appalachians, into a thrift store.
Read these stories out loud to someone who enjoys a good belly laugh. Oh, “Mariachi Momma”! And the canned cranberry sauce one. I’m still chuckling. This book is a way for us northerners to get a whiff of the aromas, tastes, smells, humor, folks, and red dirt of the Deep South. Find the book here.
Tomato Sandwiches are Eaten Over the Sink by Sean Dietrich
“A good story can do a lot for a lonely child.” Sean Deitrick should know. After his father shot himself, Sean went from a 12-year-old worried about baseball tryouts to being the man of the family.
He writes dozens of stories about second chances and has a special antenna for downtrodden folks who need someone to listen, and more. Many are set at Christmastime, Sean once playing Santa himself. “Santa didn’t mean to cry.” A precious collection. This book on Amazon.
Old Songs in a New Cafe by Robert James Waller
When I read this book decades ago, two stories have stuck with me: A Canticle for Roadcat (which was also published in The Reader’s Digest) and The Boy from the Burma Hump. They are still my favorites, Burma Hump even more so after learning about Uncle Bill Neal’s thirteen missions over The Hump during WWII.
Having returned to Iowa from a few years away, I noted Waller’s appreciation for Iowa, especially the small-town-ness of it and his rural roots. The essays/stories, nineteen of them, were first published in The Des Moines Register, which also published my first ones, and in Waller’s book called One Good Road is Enough.
His high school typing teacher came to one of his book signings. He reflected that she probably had as much to do with getting the book written as anyone. An engaging collection of observations and reflections and memories. Here’s where you can find the book.
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The Immigrant and the Outlaw: A Collection of Stories from America’s Heartland. Thanks to Nelly Murariu, it has the best cover of all–in my opinion.