Corkscrew Ridge

by Ron L. Winter

Paul Kostner searches for his roots and a genuine self-image when he decides to move back to the land in a rural community of total strangers. He abandons the social life of a faculty and small city for a society of farmers and local businesses. He leaves the company of a beautiful woman bound for administrative success and bonds to a wounded farmstead he struggles to heal. In the process he hopes to reconnect with a teenage daughter, sobriety, and his soul.
The journey is hard and heartbreaking, but he finds gentle mentors among the strong-willed country folk who teach him the many things he needs to know to live the simple life. From construction and gardening to logging and bulldozing, Paul learns by taking chances and listening to the old hands.
As his love of a dream is transformed into a love for the land and community, another kind of love dares to smile.

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2012

About the author

I was raised on a dairy farm in north-central Wisconsin in the 1940's and 50's. I earned a B.S. in History and Political Science at UW-Stevens Point. After college I spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in the Peruvian Andes working in community development and heading a state 4-H program. I met and married my first wife there and we came back to Wisconsin where I taught U.S. and World History at the secondary level. During this time we had our two daughters.

Then we moved to the country, did factory work and developed a 25-acre pond and other projects on 160 acres. Sadly, the marriage did not endure. I retrained, worked in electronics and then taught electronics at a technical college in Northwestern Wisconsin.

I married my present wife, Mary, and gained two grown step-children. We bought 240 acres of land on Corkscrew Ridge and built our post and beam house with the help of my brothers. Since then we have developed ample building lots with country roads on 40 acres and built and sold another house. The children are grown, working good jobs, and we have three happy, beautiful granddaughters.

I have dabbled in writing since childhood, but began serious projects upon my retirement in 2002. Since then, I have completed two novels and published the first, Corkscrew Ridge, in December of 2012. I am new to the world of epublishing and promotion and am thankful for the technical support of my brother, Rick.

So much to do in the sandbox of life!

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Kostner is ready to make a change in his life. He wants to connect with the land, find more meaningful people to surround himself with and draw life from his father's spirit. Paul finds a special place to start over. Corkscrew Ridge. His new neighbors are good-hearted, talented, and all have interesting histories yet their lives haven't always turned out as planned. Fancy, upscale dreams are washed away. A terrible accident causes guilt-ridden anxiety. Life become a day-to-day experience, just bumps to endure and little more. Creatively, Paul gives hope to those around him, his insights become imprints and romance bloosoms with a special lady. In turn, he takes violin lessons from a fiesty lady who wants him to get it right the first time and endures being under the tutelage of a bulldozer expert who has little patience. Very entertaining and beautifully written.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. The author has a way with words, but sometimes it seemed like he was focusing on the wrong things. He’d wax poetic about the details of the landscape, but I was unsure about important character’s qualities and motivations, or some plot points. There were times that I felt there was too much emphasis on the mundane day-to-day actions of a farm, and wished there could have been more tension or action. But if you are into slower paced novels that are more literary in style, than this is a good book to read. I actually liked it, I just think certain points could’ve been improved upon, and the ending seemed rather rushed and neatly wrapped up for my tastes. Not too bad, but not my favorite, either.

[Agricola · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world still holds the possibility of renewal and reconciliation in this story of one man's effort to rescue a wounded farm in the hills of western Wisconsin. He inspires the helpof a wide range of friends and neighbors as he labors to make whole his own life and the 200 acres of farmstead that he falls in love with. The lives of the people who help him are tangled with sorrow, anger, and disappointment, but we see these people rise to a discovery of the best that lies within them. Their resiliency is deeply moving. A tender, engaging story all the way.

[Woodene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! This is a book of a man who discovers himself again after getting pulled into a life that was unfulfilling. The descriptions he gave about the earth and nature around him reminded me of my childhood on the farm. I remembered all the smells and sounds reading his narrative. Makes me want to walk barefoot in the dust.

[Joanne Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I hated to see it end. It was so easy to put myself right into the setting. I definitely recommend this book!