House of Johann - Paperback

by Kathi Gosz (Author)

House of Johann is the absorbing, often heart-breaking story of an actual farm family living in the small village of Oberzerf Germany from 1827 to1845. Like many people found in rural villages all over Germany, Johann Rauls, his wife Maria, and their seven children work together in house, barn and fields, maintaining a strong union as they celebrate holidays, festivals, births, and marriages or deal with the struggles and illnesses that arise. Better off than many, the Rauls have much to be grateful for. But soon after the birth of their last daughter Leni, the strong family bond begins to unravel when an all-too-common tragedy occurs. The death of wife and mother Maria affects family members in unimagined ways. Johann, distracted by his despair at losing Maria, ignores his grieving children and hardly notices their misery. With the disruption of their former happy life, the brothers and sisters try to bring the family back together. Relatives and other villagers aid their efforts, especially their Aunt Mari and Uncle Nikolaus. Meanwhile, distant cousin Eva takes advantage of their situation, intent on becoming the second wife of Johann. Along with her three older brothers young Leni, who is growing up to be a strong and intelligent girl, makes the best of it when Cousin Eva takes over the Rauls household, but sisters Anna Maria and Lis rebel - with unexpected consequences. House of Johann displays German village life in rich, well-researched detail; the narrative is rich in cultural history as well as an insightful exploration into each of its characters. In addition, these are also the years when frustration with the Kingdom of Prussia's rule of the Rhineland tempted many village dwellers to leave their beloved homeland for a distant place known as Amerika.

Author Biography

Kathi Gosz, librarian and active genealogist, writes the previously untold story of the peasant families of the Rhineland of the 1800s, filled with the details of their daily lives. She draws from her genealogical research, from workshop notes, from German documents, from conversations and correspondence with researchers, but especially from local histories written in German which have been accumulated on repeated trips to the Rhineland. The YESTERDAY'S RHINELAND SERIES shares this cultural detail, with fictionalized elements that spring from the context of the research. Kathi lives in Waukesha Wisconsin, still not far from the place her immigrant ancestors settled in 1861. Her blog is entitled, "Village Life in Kreis Saarburg, Germany." http: //19thcenturyrhinelandlive.blogspot.com