Butter in the Well Series
“could well be the most endearing ‘first settler’ account ever told. Once a reader starts the books they are compelled to keep reading to see what will happen next on the isolated prairie homestead. Not to be missed!”- Caper’s Family Bookstore
Linda Hubalek’s first book series is based on the Swedish immigrant family that homesteaded her family farm in central Kansas. They are written in the form of diaries during the time period of 1869-1919.
Buy the Butter in the Well Series at BisonFarmGiftShop.com. These books are personally autographed by the author.
Butter in the Well
A Scandinavian Woman’s Tale of Life on the Prairie
Book 1, Historical Diary 1868-1888
Read the endearing account of Kajsa Swenson Runneberg, who recounts how she and her family built up the farm on the unsettled prairie.
“Go back to a time when there are no streets, roads or cars. Imagine there are no buildings, homes, hospitals or grocery stores around the corner. All of our family’s belongings fit in a small wooden wagon. The year is 1868. There is nothing but tall, green waving grass as far as the eye can see. The scent of warm spring air after a morning rain surrounds you. Spring blows gently in your face. The snort of the horse and an occasional meadowlark, whistling its call, are the only sounds. You are along on the virgin land of the vast prairie.”- opening paragraph of Butter in the Well.
Prarieblomman
The Prairie Blossoms for an Immigrant’s Daughter
Book 2, Historical Diary 1889-1900
Through her book Prarieblomman, Linda Hubalek continues the story of the Swedish immigrant family featured in her book Butter in the Well. Even though born on the same farm in two different centuries, Prairblomman’s main character, Alma Swenson Runneberg, and the author shared uncanny similarities while growing up in the Smoky Valley region of central Kansas. Both the third child of their families, they lived in the same house, played in the same yard and worked the same acres until each married and moved off the farm.
This tender, touching diary continues the saga of Kajsa’s family through her daughter, Alma, as she blossoms into a young woman.
“Hubalek takes the reader on a journey to another time and place with this sequel to Butter in the Well. Swedish traditions are intertwined with tidbits from Kansas history in this unique historical diary.” Andrea Glen, Editor of KANSAS! Magazine.
Egg Gravy:
Authentic Recipes from the Butter in the Well Series
Book 3, Diary Quotes and Recipes
Fades recipes- we’ve all come across them from time to time in our lives- either handwritten by ourselves or by another person in our family, or as old yellowed newspaper clippings stuck in a cookbook of sorts.
While doing the research from the Butter in the Wellseries, the author found old recipes and home remedies along with the family and community histories. The recipes had been handwritten in old ledger books, on scraps of paper, in margins of old cookbooks, and forever etched in the memories of the pioneer’s children Hubalek interviewed.
As a result, Egg Gravy is a collection of recipes the pioneer women used during their homesteading days. Most of the recipes can be traced back to the original women that homesteaded the real-life setting of Butter in the Well.
Everyone who’s ever treasured a family recipe or marveled at the special touches Mother added to her cooking will enjoy this collection of recipes and wisdom from the homestead family.
Looking Back:
The Final Tale of Life on the Prairie
Book 4, Historical Diary 1919
The inevitable happens-time moves on and we grow older. Instead of our own little children surrounding us, grandchildren take their place. Each new generation lives in a new age of technology, not realizing the changes the generations before theirs has seen-and improved for them.
The cycle of life has change the prairie also. Endless waves of tall native prairie grass has been reduced to uniform rows of grain crops. The curves of the river have shifted over the decades, eroded by both man and nature. The majestic prairie has been tamed over time.
In this fourth book of the Butter in the Wellseries, Kajsa Svensson Runeberg, now age 75, looks back at the changes she has experienced on the farm she homesteaded 51 years ago. She reminisces about the past, resolves the present situation, and looks toward their future off the farm.
Don’t miss this heart-rending touching finale!
Buy the complete Butter in the Well Series at a saving for $42.95 (with free shipping!) at BisonFarmGiftShop.com.