Carol
Bodensteiner
author
Welcome! Whether you're a first-time visitor or long-time friend, I'm glad you found your way here. I'm a writer who's inspired by the people, places, culture, and history of the Midwest.
My Books
One of the best things about writing is the opportunity to share experiences with readers. The stories in my memoir and my historical novel encourage readers to recall their own growing up years and the lives of their ancestors, whether they 'grew up country' or not. Because of the stories readers share with me, I've developed a deep appreciation for the value of preserving everyday stories - the fabric of our lives and culture.
Stitched Through Time: The Story of Libbie Jensen’s Quilts
Stitched Through Time shares the journey of the author's family’s heirloom quilts through five generations, a journey that spans hopes and dreams lost, reconciliation and redemption.
Simple Truth
Angela Darrah gets the job of her dreams only to find her client may be exploiting immigrant employees. With each new revelation, she finds herself questioning not only the client but also herself. Ultimately, she must answer: What is she willing to risk to help someone else?
Go Away Home
Set in World War One-era Iowa, GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief.
Growing Up Country, Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl
GROWING UP COUNTRY delivers a treat as delicious as oatmeal cookies hot out of the oven—a memoir of a happy childhood growing up on a family farm in the middle of the country in the middle of the 20th Century.
On the Blog
Hot air balloons float over my house in Des Moines with some regularity in the summer. I’ve watched from the ground and wondered what it would be like to go up in one. What would it feel like? What would I hear? What would I see? How would it be differing than looking at the…
Read MoreSeeing something with your own eyes is proof. Right? At one time or another, most of us have said: “Seeing is believing.” or “I’ll believe it when I see it.” We’ve also said the opposite when reality goes against what we know or believe to be true – “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”…
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