Heaven in a Wildflower, a new historical novel by Cynthia Mines, is set in a Swedish-settled community in fictionalized McPherson County in the early 20th century.
Mines, an MHS and McPherson College graduate, will sign copies of the book at Twice Told Tales during Ladies Night Out on Nov. 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. Custom ceramic coffee mugs with quotes from the book created by Daisy Friesen of rural McPherson will also be available at Twice Told Tales.
The coming-of-age novel tells the story of Kristin Thorsen, who struggles to put down roots on the prairie after being sent to live with her father in a country parsonage. To escape her lonely existence, she finds solace in books, including those about the Wizard of Oz, as well as Swedish folktales and stories of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Set among fields of emerald-green winter wheat, the story takes on Oz overtones when Kristin is befriended by a neighbor widow and a local seed merchant on a journey to trust her heart and summon the courage to explore beyond the vast horizon.
The fictional seed merchant, who also sells art, is based on Carl Smally, a McPherson merchant credited with introducing many residents to original art through the local schools’ annual art exhibitions. Mines’ research on Smalley is featured in her nonfiction book, For the Sake of Art: The Story of a Kansas Renaissance, which was named a Kansas Notable Book in 2016. She is also the author of The McPherson Opera House: A Prairie Landmark.
This is Mines’ first novel after writing nonfiction for four decades at Wichita State University and the Wichita Business Journal as well as serving as publisher-editor of the award-winning Travel Kansas magazine for 32 years. Her freelance articles have appeared in dozens of publications, including the Los Angeles Times. She graduated from McPherson College in 1977 and earned a master’s degree at WSU in 1982.
Mines turned to fiction to tell Kansas stories because she believed a historical novel might reach more readers than nonfiction. The new 360-page book was released by Meadowlark Press on June 23 in hard cover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold. Prior to being published, the book was awarded first place for Historical Fiction by Pikes Peaks Writers.
For more information, visit cynthiamines.com or meadowlarkbookstore.com.
