Helga Heinrich and her four children sail into the thriving seaport of Indianola, Texas, determined to overcome the memory and haunting legacy of her husband and their papa who drowned in a drunken leap from the dock as the ship pulled away from the German port. "Stein House" (published by iUniverse) is a family saga of German immigrants struggling to survive in a foreign land.
Myra Hargrave McIlvain says she was inspired to write after interviewing a 94-year-old woman who shared many stories about her ancestors who came into Texas, including a similar story about a German immigrant who sailed into Indianola.
The premise of "Stein House" allows McIlvain to expose readers to cruelties of historical past. Set in the seaport of Indianola, Texas, 1853 to 1886, the Heinrichs are shocked by the culture of slavery. They must navigate through the quagmire of yellow fever, choices of the Civil War and Reconstruction, alcoholism and the devastation wrought by the hurricane of 1886. Readers are particularly informed by Helga, a woman of strong passions, whose perspective serves as the story's moral core, delivered with the backdrop of historical accuracy.
"Stein House"
By Myra Hargrave McIlvain
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 304 pages | ISBN 9781491780848
E-Book | 306 pages | ISBN 9781491780855
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Myra Hargrave McIlvain is a teller of Texas tales. Whether she is sharing the stories in her books, her lectures or her blog, she aims to make the Texas story alive. She has two grown children and a houseful of grandkids. She and her husband, Stroud, live in Austin, Texas.
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