When I wrote book one, The Button Boy, I had no idea there would be a book two or a book three. With book one finished, there were just too many ends hanging. Johannes and Berta deserved their own story and I felt a prequel was in order.

Writing this book was prompted knowing a bit about my own father's background. He was German and his family immigrated to America in the late 1800's. Johannes and Berta's story in America is loosely based on the struggles my parents had as newlyweds.

I loved writing this book because of the research involved. Bollen, Germany is a real small town in Germany and was picked from hundreds of other small towns because of its closeness to Bremen, the Weser River, and it was a small fishing village. It was the perfect city to tell a story of three generations of men supporting their families with their button making. It was a simpler time, without modern conveniences, and they faced many more economic and health issues. The health issues were hard to write about, but it was commonplace during this time of contagious diseases without cures. War was a constant, the long German Depression, and couples adhering to strict German traditions, made life hard. 

But in between all the struggles, two young people found each other and fell in love. They each faced family losses but found strength in each other to overcome their sadness and move forward with their lives. 

I've tried to make the story poignant, but also humorous, at the same time trying to stay true to the years involved. When this book was finished, I just knew there would be a book three, to continue the story of how Johannes and Berta thrived in Wisconsin and raised Josiah, the button boy.