Vernal Lind heard stories about the monumental blizzard when he was growing up on his parent’s farm near Battle Lake, Minn. It made a deep impression eventually becoming the subtext for the second book in his award winning “Beyond Those Hills” series. This one is titled “Beyond the Storm.”

The first novel introduced the Andersons, a farm family living in west-central Minnesota, near Lind’s own childhood home. Growing up, he dreamed of writing stories like those he loved to read. He also filed away tales he heard about gangster Al Capone having a cabin in Wisconsin and a local man who was rumored to have Mafia connections. He has used some of those ideas to flesh out the characters in his novels.

In the sequel, the family faces a crisis of faith symbolized by the great blizzard.

“The blizzards of life are beyond our control,” Lind said. “The book shows God working in the lives of these characters.”

He says we all face our private storms.

“These often occur at the beginning of a new endeavor, something that forces us to put our hand in God’s and trust Him to lead us forward into a future we can’t clearly see,” Lind said.

One turning point in his own life occurred when he was a young teen.

“Until I finished junior high, I attended a one-room schoolhouse with anywhere from 7 to 16 stu-dents,” he said. “Then came time for high school and, with trepidation, I boarded the bus which would carry me 10 miles away to Battle Lake.”

It was his first experience with the wider world.  After high school he earned a degree in English education. For 36 years, he taught in Iron Range high schools and at his alma mater St. Cloud State University. 

“Teaching took all my creative energy,” Lind said, “but I knew someday I would write.”

When he retired he pursued that dream. His writing has an authenticity born of his own experiences. In the 1940s and 50s he baled hay, drove a tractor and did the chores required of any child in a farm family.

“It was a hardworking way of life but a good way of life,” Lind said. “In (my books) I include some of those values. There was something so honest about those farmers of my father’s generation. A man’s word and his handshake were binding. 

“I’d like to have readers walk away with appreciation for an earlier time when people had strong Christian core values,” Lind continued. “They kept the commandments. None of the farmers in my area worked on Sunday, for example. I felt there were stories to tell, characters to bring out of a world and a time that has vanished. Perhaps there are core values from that time which we should revisit. I don’t think we can return to a simpler life, but we can simplify our lives and look to the Lord for strength and direction.“

Lind is already at work on the third book in the series. Readers say his books hold a special appeal for those who treasure the values of “The Greatest Generation,” and like to explore history and enjoy novels with strong male characters.


ACTION POINT:
“Beyond the Storm” by Vernal Lind is available through local bookstores and on www.amazon.com.