Best Small Towns In Iowa - April 2024

Sunday Afternoon on the Porch: Reflections of a Small Town in Iowa, 1939-1942 (Bur Oak Book)

In 1939, just before graduating from high school in the small town of Ridgeway in northeast Iowa, Everett Kuntz spent his entire savings of $12.50 on a 35mm Argus AF camera. He made a camera case from a worn-out boot, scraps from a tin can, and a clasp from his mother’s purse. For the next several years, especially during the summers when he worked on his parents’ dairy farm, he clicked the shutter of his trusty Argus all around the quiet town. Everett bought movie reel film in bulk from a mail-order house, rolled his own film, and developed it in a closet at home, but he never had the mon... [Read More]

• ASIN: 1587296535
• ASIN: 1587296535
• ISBN: 1587296535
• Brand: Brand: University Of Iowa Press
• Manufacturer: University Of Iowa Press

Gilead: A Novel

The 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning novelA New York Times Top-Ten Book of 2004Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for FictionA PBS Great American Read selectionNearly 25 years after Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three generations, from the Civil War to the 20th century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. In the words of Kirkus, it is a novel "as big as a nation, as quiet as thought, and moving as prayer. Matchless and towering." Gilead tells the story of America and will break your heart.

• ASIN: 031242440X
• ASIN: 031242440X
• ISBN: 031242440X
• Brand: Picador USA
• Manufacturer: Picador

Growing Season: a novel (Book 1)

A faded farmhouse, a devoted dog. One special summer.Melinda is already at a crossroads when the “for rent” sign beckons her down a dusty gravel lane. Facing forty, single and downsized from her stellar career at a big-city ad agency, she’s struggling to start over when a phone call brings her home to rural Iowa. It's not long before she moves to the country, takes on a rundown farm and its headstrong animals, and lands behind the counter of her family’s hardware store in the community of Prosper, whose motto is “The Great Little Town That Didn’t.” And just like the sprawling gar... [Read More]

• ASIN: B0719WQT7H
• ASIN: B0719WQT7H
• Manufacturer: Fremont Creek Press

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Experience the uplifting, "unforgettable" New York Times bestseller about an abandoned kitten named Dewey, whose life in a library won over a farming town and the world--with over 2 million copies sold! (Booklist)Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. On the coldest night of the year in Spencer, Iowa, at only a few weeks old--a critical age for kittens--he was stuffed into the return book slot of the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholi... [Read More]

• ASIN: 0446407429
• ASIN: 0446407429
• ISBN: 0446584851
• Brand: Grand Central Publishing
• Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing

Harvest Season: a novel (Book 2)

The right road will always lead you home. But how do you know which path to choose?As late summer fades into fall, Melinda’s efforts at her rented farmhouse are starting to bear fruit. She’s learned to preserve produce, outsmart some stubborn chickens and wrangle a flock of spoiled sheep. She revels in the peace she's found in the country, where time is marked by morning-fresh eggs and stunning sunsets. But even in the small town of Prosper, nothing stays the same. One member of the hardware store’s coffee group shares a startling announcement, and a trip back to the city makes Melinda r... [Read More]

• ASIN: B072C8QNJR
• ASIN: B072C8QNJR
• Manufacturer: Fremont Creek Press

In All Things, Give Thanks (Bellingwood Book 24)

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, Polly's world explodes. The bed and breakfast is ready for occupancy. One last walk-through. Marie Sturtz, Betty Mercer, Judy Green, and Polly are all thrilled with the work that has been done. Bellingwood is excited for one more sure sign of growth in the small town. Thanksgiving weekend and the big grand opening are coming up. This ambitious undertaking by the three families is a legacy they are all proud to reveal.While preparing for the upcoming holiday, Polly finds she can wait no longer to uncover information regarding the existence of a sister to JaRon and... [Read More]

• ASIN: B07MD2HPMZ
• ASIN: B07MD2HPMZ
• Manufacturer: Nammynools Publications

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

From one of the world's most beloved writers and New York Times bestselling author of One Summer, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950sBill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century—1951—in the middle of the United States—Des Moines, Iowa—in the middle of the largest generation in American history—the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with... [Read More]

• ASIN: 0767919378
• ASIN: 0767919378
• ISBN: 0739482939
• Brand: Bill Bryson
• Manufacturer: Broadway Books

Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope from a Heartland Newspaper

"A reminder that even the smallest newspapers can hold the most powerful among us accountable." --The New York Times Book Review “[The Storm Lake Times has an] unwavering commitment to elevating the community… Not the enemy of the people but a voice for the people.” --Beto O’Rourke, Democratic Presidential Candidate, via Instagram From a Pulitzer-winning newspaperman, an unsentimental ode to America's heartland--a story of reinvention and resilience, environmental and economic struggle, and surprising diversity and hope. When The Storm Lake Times, a tiny Iowa twice-weekly, won a Puli... [Read More]

• ASIN: 052555887X
• ASIN: 052555887X
• ISBN: 9780525558873
• Manufacturer: Viking

Bellingwood Boxed Set: Books 4-6

Books four, five and six of the popular Bellingwood series are finally available in a single boxed set. Be sure to look for the first set (Bellingwood Boxed Set: Books 1-3) to start reading about this wonderful little community in the heart of Iowa.Secrets and Revelations: Between the community's celebration and a woman who claims to have been part of Polly's family when Polly was a baby, this summer is heating up. The big quilt show has relocated to Sycamore House and the woman in charge is a shrew. Polly's protective instincts are aroused when the woman attacks people who are unable to prote... [Read More]

• ASIN: B01N371QJH
• ASIN: B01N371QJH
• Manufacturer: Nammynools Publications

Love's Surprises (Bellingwood Book 20)

It's been five years since Polly Giller met new friends in Bellingwood. Her moving into town was the beginning of something amazing and that has never changed.Zombies are supposed to be the walking dead, not the lying down in the middle of the elementary school parking lot dead. This wasn't how Halloween is supposed to end. But she's Polly Giller and this is Bellingwood. It's just the beginning of this book's adventure.Strangers in ski masks attempt to break into the Bell House - for what, Polly can't imagine, but she and the dogs chase them into the cemetery where they escape from. The family... [Read More]

• ASIN: B078LC2H7J
• ASIN: B078LC2H7J
• Manufacturer: Nammynools Publications

A Thousand Acres: A Novel

This powerful twentieth-century reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear centers on a wealthy Iowa farmer who decides to divide his farm between his three daughters. When the youngest objects, she is cut out of his will. This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and explodes long-suppressed emotions. Ambitiously conceived and stunningly written, A Thousand Acres takes on themes of truth, justice, love, and pride—and reveals the beautiful yet treacherous topography of humanity.

• ASIN: 1400033837
• ASIN: 1400033837
• ISBN: 1400033837
• Brand: Smiley, Jane
• Manufacturer: Anchor

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

• ASIN: 149262344X
• UPC: 760789253850
• ASIN: 149262344X
• ISBN: 149262344X
• Brand: SOURCEBOOKS LANDMARK
• Manufacturer: Sourcebooks Landmark

Walking Beans Wasn't Something You Did With Your Dog: Stories Of Growing Up In And Around Small Towns In The Midwest

Inside these pages you'll find thirty heartwarming, funny and dramatic stories about life in the Midwest, ranging from the days after the Depression to the more recent past. Stories such as "Cyrano the Pig" and "The Great Snowman War of 1952" will have you laughing out loud, while "Stars in the Window" will bring back memories of widespread patriotism and rationing during WWII.

• ASIN: 0982105800
• ASIN: 0982105800
• ISBN: 0982105800
• Manufacturer: Shapato Publishing

Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town

A New York Times BestsellerWinner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize Winner of the Hillman Prize for Book JournalismNamed a best book of the year by:the Los Angeles Timesthe San Francisco Chroniclethe Saint Louis Post-Dispatchthe Chicago Tribunethe Seattle Times"A stunning look at a problem that has dire consequences for our country.”-New York PostThe dramatic story of Methamphetamine as it comes to the American Heartland-a timely, moving, account of one community's attempt to confront the epidemic and see their way to a brighter future.The bestselling book that launched meth back into t... [Read More]

• ASIN: 1608192075
• ASIN: 1608192075
• ISBN: 9781608192076
• Brand: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America

• ASIN: 0060920084
• ASIN: 0060920084
• ISBN: 9780060920081
• Brand: Harper Perennial
• Manufacturer: William Morrow Paperbacks

Mary Jane's Ghost : The Legacy of a Murder in Small Town America

"Summer 1948. In the scenic, remote river town of Oregon, Illinois, a young couple visiting the local lovers' lane is murdered. The shocking crime garners headlines from Portland, Maine, to Long Beach, California. But after

• UPC: 55799712
• Rating: 3.0

Transcendental Meditation in America : How a New Age Movement Remade a Small Town in Iowa

Follows the establishment of Maharishi University of Management by Marharishi Mahesh Yogi, discussing how it influenced the community in Fairfield, Iowa, and how the founder's death has impacted the

• UPC: 33813869

A Disposition to Be Rich: How a Small-Town Pastor's Son Ruined an American President, Brought on a Wall Street Crash, and Made Himself the Best-

A Disposition to Be Rich: How a Small-Town Pastor's Son Ruined an American President, Brought on a Wall Street Crash, and Made Himself the Best-Hated Man in the United States, Ward, Geoffrey

• UPC: 17476402
• Rating: 3.5

The Best Small Towns In the United States - eBook

Once in a while, you discover a town that has everything—great coffee, food with character, shop owners with purpose. Each year, the Budget Travel team celebrates these places with our "Coolest Small Towns in America"

• UPC: 467819528

Making Your Move to One of America's Best Small Towns - eBook

For those looking to raise a family in a storybook American town, or a change of pace from hectic city life, this book is the

• UPC: 972366994

Best Served Cold : A Small Town Police Procedural Set in Oklahoma

Twenty years ago, the Whitebridge Players staged their last ever performance and swore that they'd return to the same theatre and stage the same play. Two decades later, they do - with tragic results. DCI

• UPC: 856139155

The Gang : A Small Town Police Force Sarcastic, Irreverent, and Crude to Each Other, Yet Loyal to the Best Interests of Its Citizens.

After twenty-five years working in small-town law enforcement, author Martin J. Biersbach had enough stories to fill a book--so he wrote one. The Gang is a humorous, at times sarcastic, collection of short fictional tales

• UPC: 807875861

Best Served Cold : A Small Town Police Procedural Set in Oklahoma

Someone is getting revenge against Milt Kovak with a series of pranks. But things escalate when the brakes on Milt's deputy's car are cut and his wife to crashes. Then two friends of the mother

• UPC: 56120572

Yorktown : Growing Up in Small-Town Iowa

Yorktown

• UPC: 53397357

The Fields of Fall : Small-Town High School Football in Iowa

The Fields of Fall follows several high school football dynasties in Iowa for a year. The book is an enlightening and entertaining ride through the 2010 season; dissecting the teams' philosophies and telling the stories

• UPC: 17797390