I really feel that this book is going to emerge as a hidden gem. If you are a farmer; if you are a farmer's wife; if you grew up on a farm; if you wanted to grow up on a farm; if you live in a rural community where farming is its backbone, you're going to want to read this book.

The setting is rural Kansas. It's the 1980s when new requirements for agricultural loans became mandatory. The old fashioned handshake for a man's word was no longer the standard. Compliances with government programs became the must.

The Barretts (Iron and Mary) married when they were 17, raised three children, now own over 3,000 acres, and are known as rural royalty in their small Kansas town. The new rating for agricultural loans turns their lives, their family's lives, and their farm upside down.

The novel pits a small town bank president against his lifelong friend. It also illustrates a generational struggle with fathers and sons (for both the farmer and the banker). It's a tribute to rural families who weathered agricultural disasters. It's real and relevant, and the author (who is also a historian) does an excellent job of making her characters jump off of the page.

This novel releases July 1, 2024. If you grew up on or near a farming community, I think you'd like it. I took a chance on requesting this from NetGalley because unlike many I request, this one only had one previous reader with one review (which was a 5 star). I am interested to see how its reviews increase as it becomes closer to publication and after its release. I am rating it 4.5.

I liked the way the author was so knowledgeable and had done so much research on her topic. She was able to explain the restrictions and implications of the constraints imposed on the families due to the new regulations by the FDIC. She had been a member on the Interfaith Rural Life Committee of Western Kansas, so she used that insight and included it in the book. Her husband owned a livestock truckline and had a large loan at a failed back that fell under the FDIC. That also gave great insight for her topic and plot. She interviewed several bankers and had a small town Kansas retired bank president vet her material. All of this understanding and perception added in Hinger's story and the reader's ability to comprehend the farmers' extreme times. The author's plotline of the son and the new bank officers really piqued interest in the book. also, giving it dual antagonists.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bison Books for the opportunity to preview this novel uncovering an important part of rural, American history.

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. It has everything - sense of place, character description, twists and turns, hope, despair, more hope and more despair. Community, friendship, family.... and a story that you can't let go of until you've finished the last page and even more. I was totally immersed and I felt I was there for every minute of it. Kudos to the author for such a gripping tale.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I absolutely loved it and it will stay with me for a very long time.