THE SOD HOUSE

Sixth in the author's series of stories highlighting incidents in American history (see Aunt Flora and Old Whirlwind for the two latest) tells of a German immigrant family in Kansas at the time when the slavery issue was hot. Refugees by conviction from the 1848 revolution in their homeland, the Traubels have come to Boston. But there, young Ilse's father is disturbed anew by the slavery question and considers it his duty to move to Kansas to do his small bit to swing the state toward the free side. Pioneering, Ilse and her family- farm near the Osage River and their adventures- from natural disasters to threats from the pro-slavery gangs- display political issues in microcosm as they win through for their beliefs. Warmly told.