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Joy Neal Kidney
1448 ratings | 1037 reviews | avg rating:4.74

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2026 Reading Challenge

Joy Neal Kidney

Goodreads Author


Born
in Dexter, Iowa, The United States
Website

Twitter
https://twitter.com/JoyNealKidney

Genre
History, Nonfiction, Historical Fiction

Member Since
March 2016


Joy Neal Kidney, the oldest granddaughter of the heroine of the "Leora Stories," is the author of "Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss For an Iowa Family During World War II," "Leora's Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression," "Leora's Early Years: Guthrie County Roots," and "What Leora Never Knew: A Granddaughter's Quest for Answers."

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and married to a Vietnam Air Force veteran, Joy lives in central Iowa.


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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?
Joy Neal Kidney Doesn't happen much now that the brain fog of 19 years of fibromyalgia has pretty well lifted, but it doesn't hurt to take a day off, go do something …moreDoesn't happen much now that the brain fog of 19 years of fibromyalgia has pretty well lifted, but it doesn't hurt to take a day off, go do something else. Things look fresh again after a breather.(less)
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Joy Neal Kidney The third draft! That's when you pretty well know what stays, what goes. Now it's time to sculpt what's left and add color.

I also really enjoy feedbac…moreThe third draft! That's when you pretty well know what stays, what goes. Now it's time to sculpt what's left and add color.

I also really enjoy feedback, both on Amazon, etc., but also on my website.(less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.56 · 352 ratings · 108 reviews · 8 distinct works • Similar authors
Leora's Letters: The Story ...
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4.72 avg rating — 130 ratings — 5 editions
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Leora's Dexter Stories: The...
4.36 avg rating — 118 ratings — 6 editions
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Leora's Early Years: Guthri...
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4.35 avg rating — 57 ratings — 4 editions
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What Leora Never Knew: A Gr...
4.85 avg rating — 26 ratings — 4 editions
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Meadowlark Songs: A Motherl...
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4.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — 5 editions
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The Immigrant and the Outla...
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — 3 editions
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Genealogy of Miles Marshall...
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons...
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More books by Joy Neal Kidney…

1078 posts
Joy Neal Kidney's Blog

The Village Blacksmith – guest post by Ruby Blohm Neal

Ruby Emma Blohm is the girl on the left in the front row.

My Grandma Ruby Emma (Blohm) Neal (1898-1991) grew up in the small town of Dexter, Iowa.  Her father, George Amus Blohm, was born on Pellworm Island, Germany.

This story is from Ruby’s unpublished memoir called From Prairies to Plazas–From Meadows to Malls:

The Village Blacksmith

I’m glad that I lived where I could pass two blacksmi

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Published on September 17, 2026 05:00
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Joy is Currently Reading

The Museum Murder...
Joy Kidney is currently reading
by Dan Antion (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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22 hours, 48 min ago
A Month of Summer
Joy Kidney is currently reading
by Lisa Wingate (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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22 hours, 49 min ago
Message Sent Thro...
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by Pamela G. Baker (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Sep 07, 2026 01:29PM

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Joy’s Recent Updates

Joy Neal Kidney wrote a new blog post

The Village Blacksmith – guest post by Ruby Blohm Neal

Ruby Emma Blohm is the girl on the left in the front row.
My Grandma Ruby Emma (Blohm) Neal (1898-1991) grew up in the small town of Dexter, Iowa.  He Read more of this blog post »
10 hours, 40 min ago  · 
Joy Kidney is currently reading
The Museum Murders by Dan Antion
The Museum Murders: A Rascal Todd Mystery
by Dan Antion (Goodreads Author)
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22 hours, 48 min ago  · 
Joy Kidney is currently reading
A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate
A Month of Summer (Blue Sky Hill #1)
by Lisa Wingate (Goodreads Author)
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22 hours, 49 min ago  ·   ·  preview book
Joy Kidney did not finish
Twice Saved by Death by Leslie Walter Haas
Twice Saved by Death: An Unforgettable Story of Resilience and Redemption.
by Leslie Walter Haas
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23 hours, 41 min ago  ·   ·  preview book
Joy Kidney is now following Book Club Mom's reviews
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Sep 16, 2026 01:49PM  · 
Joy Kidney is now following
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Harmony Kent
Author of The Glade
Sep 14, 2026 03:54PM  · 
Joy Kidney entered a giveaway
’Til the Boys Come Home by Jerry Borrowman
’Til the Boys Come Home: A World War I Novel
by Jerry Borrowman (Goodreads Author)
100 copies available, ends on September 18, 2026 Enter to win »
Sep 09, 2026 08:03AM  ·   · see giveaway ·  preview book
Joy Kidney is currently reading
Message Sent Through Time by Pamela G. Baker
Message Sent Through Time (New Hope #1)
by Pamela G. Baker (Goodreads Author)
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Sep 07, 2026 01:29PM  ·   ·  preview book
Joy Kidney rated a book it was amazing
Live And Let by Judith Barrow
Live And Let
by Judith Barrow
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The stories through the decades are delightful, along with the way the author unfurls them. The guests in their holiday apartment ran from hippies and a man who faked a sprained ankle so as to miss his wife's family reunion to why they decided to ban ...more
Sep 07, 2026 01:07PM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Joy Kidney did not finish
The Legend of Ruthless Ruth by G.W. Lynch
The Legend of Ruthless Ruth
by G.W. Lynch (Goodreads Author)
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Sep 07, 2026 01:05PM  ·   ·  preview book
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Joy’s Quotes

Søren Kierkegaard
“To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”
― Soren Kierkegaard
tags: insparational
815 likes

Søren Kierkegaard
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
― Søren Kierkegaard
tags: future, life, past, reflection, understanding
9107 likes

C.S. Lewis
“I have seen great beauty of spirit in some who were great sufferers. I have seen men, for the most part, grow better not worse with advancing years, and I have seen the last illness produce treasures of fortitude and meekness from most unpromising subjects.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
24 likes

C.S. Lewis
“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back.”
― C. S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces
841 likes

C.S. Lewis
“Free will, though it makes evil possible, also makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.”
― C.S. Lewis
31 likes

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Follow us on: Facebook Pinterest Keeping romance, history, humor, mystery, love, intrigue, and passion interesting, fun, and clean for all Christians ...more
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Breaking into the world of writing through the self-publishing gateway can be daunting and overwhelming. This is a support group where indie and aspir ...more
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Indie Voices: Authors & Books is a community for writers and readers who believe stories don’t need a big publisher to matter. This group is for: In ...more

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