Beneath the Apple Leaves
About this ebook
In 1914, Andrew Houghton trades his coal mining job in southwestern Pennsylvania for an apprenticeship on the railroad in Pittsburgh where his uncle Wilhelm works. But a tragic accident leaves him severely injured, shattering his dreams of the future. Wracked with guilt, Wilhelm finally agrees to his wife’s pleas to leave Pittsburgh’s smog behind. With Andrew in tow, they swap their three-story row house for a rough-and-tumble farm.
Life in rural Pennsylvania is not as idyllic as they imagined. The soil is slow to yield and their farmhouse is in disrepair. But there is one piece of beauty in this rugged land. Lily Morton is quick-witted and tough on the outside, but bears her own secret scars inside. Andrew’s bond with her will help steer them through all the challenges to come, even as anti-German sentiment spreads across America with the outbreak of World War I.
Beneath the Apple Leaves is a vivid, deeply moving portrait of family—its hardships, triumphs, and passions—and a powerfully authentic evocation of life on the land and the hearts that sustain it.
“Verna’s language is rich in description, and her writing flows beautifully . . . a wonderful read.” —Historical Novel Society
“Compelling . . . Verna’s skill as a storyteller makes this book a solid and worthwhile read.” —Publishers WeeklyRatings and reviews
About the author
Throughout her twenty-year career in communications, Harmony Verna has worked with all media facets: radio, television, magazines, newspapers, public relations, advertising and marketing. As a freelance writer, she has written scripts for the Food Network and articles for Modern Bride Magazine, Connecticut Woman Magazine and more. Daughter of Australia was a final round selection for the James Jones First Novel Contest. Verna lives in Newtown, Connecticut, with her husband and their three young boys. Readers can visit her website at www.HarmonyVerna.com.
