Overview

Readers will savor the sixth in a series of anthologies about growing up in the rural Midwest. The stories in Needle in a Haystack recount bits of wistful reflection that are certain to move and amuse. Thirty-two contributors share such memories as tinkering with cars, searching for treasure in junk piles, and the value of hard work. Others write of treasured gifts, train rides, hitch-hiking, mishaps and near-catastrophes. Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa is the setting for three diverse narratives dealing with a range of emotions, from the joy of learning to water ski, to the misery of being homesick while away at camp, to fear during a tornado that ended a vacation. Though regional in content, the stories within hold universal connections associated with coming of age in simpler times when, though life was often far from easy, family values were the cornerstone of each author's life. As always, this volume of the popular series is enhanced by vintage black and white photographs, as well as the sketches of artist LaVonne Hansen.