I can’t think of a more heartwarming book to recommend than Joy Neal Kidney’s latest masterpiece, “Meadowlark Songs” (Available from Amazon.com in paperback, hardback, and ebook.)
If you’re like me – grateful to find books that instill and bolster your faith – “Meadowlark Songs” is for you. I promise.
Reading about Joy’s family and their roots in central Iowa is restorative. If you’re not familiar, you need to catch up! Check out Joy’s previous books:
Joy brings the poignancy of love and loss forward and every time I read about her family, I feel as though I’ve been welcomed into the fold; invited into the Guthrie County, Iowa homes of Joy’s ancestors. On each page I learn about their lives, stories of triumph and pain. Deeply American stories about a family across decades.
In Joy’s latest book, she turns her attention to her magnificent ‘motherline’; generations who endured every conceivable challenge – from covered wagons traversing the plains as pioneers to building homesteads and families even when the horrors of war and poverty shook their foundations. Through it all, Joy provides deeply resonant examples of resilience – told in stories and precious photographs.
My copy of “Meadowlark Songs” is dog-eared and marked up with endless annotations but there are two aspects that tugged at my heart.
First: In Chapter 1 Joy includes a quote from Naomi Ruth Lowinsky who wrote, “Stories from the Motherline“:
“Once you reach back to the grandmother level, and the great-grandmother level, you’re getting into the soul of your family.”
I’d say Joy’s done just that, revealing the soulful source of her family’s strength – the power of her own magnificent motherline.
Second: Dear Joy – thank you for including the references to precious china and heirlooms…and antimacassars. Reminders of a time gone by – making me smile as I think about my own motherline.
Happy Reading, everyone – and thank you so much, Joy.
-Vicki 💝
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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