When a stranger with a secret rolls into a town divided, the land--and its people--will never be the same. In the heart of rural Wisconsin, the small town of Settlers Valley is at a crossroads. As environmental tensions rise and long-standing relationships strain under political and generational divides, residents must confront hard truths about their land, their values, and each other. Into this fractured community comes Jack Ramsay, a quiet drifter whose arrival coincides with a series of conflicts over water rights, farm preservation, and the soul of the town itself. As Jack forms unexpected bonds with local residents and reconnects with his own past, his presence sparks new questions--and old tensions. With rich storytelling and deep affection for place, Jerry Apps crafts a timely and resonant tale about the power of community, the wisdom of the land, and the healing that can happen when people slow down long enough to truly listen.
Settlers Valley : Life, Loss, and Renewal in a Wisconsin Town