On the Bank of the Chippewa - Paperback

by Rob Bignell (Editor), Renee Pulve (Illustrator), Steven Lomske (Illustrator)

Hidden beneath the cold, damp farmland of Michigan lies an incredible, heartwarming family saga of sacrifice and heroism waiting to be unearthed by you.
If you gazed at the homestead on the book cover of On the Bank of the Chippewa and imagined yourself hanging out with your cousins while enjoying a summer filled with adventure on your grandpa's farm, canoeing down the Chippewa River with a cold beverage in hand, or roasting marshmallows in the backyard fire pit then this book is for you. Looking for characters that don't always get what they want and face real challenges in life like we do? You found them. This fast-paced, dialogue driven, family saga comes to life through the lives of three brothers as they experience the joy and hardship of growing up in an evolving, rural town during the turbulent events of the 1960s. They must stand up for what they believe in, learn from their mistakes, and eventually find the truth about their family legacy, love and themselves.
In the first chapter we invite you to the Mertz family breakfast table like you're our big-city, cousin that came to spend Thanksgiving. From there you're drawn deeper into our saga with the turning of each page. During family meals, our grandparents imaginatively transport you back in time to experience generations of family lore, starting in the lumber camps of Northern Michigan, and then through two world wars. The family stories leave you to decide whether or not the brothers' ancestors' beliefs, sacrifices and heroism predetermined their destinies.
The young brothers, Paul, Gustav and Steven live in harmony until their love for the same woman, deception, jealousy, and tragedy shatter their trust in each other. Two of the brothers seek out their own unique paths in life leaving Steven behind. All Steven desires is to work hard, fall in love and live a peaceful life. Don't we all? But the spirits of his ancestors won't let him. After the brothers separate, Steven unexpectedly plows up grandpa's awards and scars from WWI that were locked away and forgotten.
When the brothers are reunited by an unexpected event that finally exposes the truth, it is unclear if the peace that follows redemption will bind the young men together again, or if greed and mistrust will tear the family in two.
Through their grandmother's wisdom and faith, the boys are taught that their lives can be like the Chippewa River that flows through the farm. They can do nothing and let the strong current carry them where it wants to take them, or they can take risks, fight upstream and mold their own destinies to make something meaningful of their lives. The story will make you laugh, cry and hopefully search your soul to understand the power of forgiveness, the satisfaction of reaching your life goals, and question if the risk or reward of sacrificing for loved ones or your country is truly worth it.
Are you curious or adventurous? Want to know what happens to Steven? Tired of the same books the big publishing houses and their pool of reviewers tell you are "must-reads"? If you answered "yes" or even "maybe" then scroll back up, come into our family and order a book from a debut author and self-publisher who writes from the seat of his pants and must plant and seed his own fields in order to grow success. It will be a new, rewarding adventure, and you just might want to leave a review that won't be buried under thousands of solicited reviews and never read. Love to hear from you, and heck let me know if you enjoyed the book's ending or want to know what becomes of young Mason or his mother as they venture down the river.

One dollar of each book sold after July 4th. shall be donated to Tunnels to Towers Foundation who's mission is to provide specially adapted smart homes for injured veterans and first responders.