Part One has stories of our Swedish and German ancestors coming to America, and where they settled and raised their families. We find out what life was like for Mary Louise Stenquist growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts and for Herbert Victor Lentz growing up in Lake Huntington, New York. We learn how the Prohibition years and the “Roaring Twenties” influenced their experiences as they were growing up. How they ended up in Halcyon – how they got there – is a fascinating story.

Part Two chronicles the lives of Herb and Louise, two young adults who fell in love, got engaged, then endured two and one-half years apart. Herb was in the US Navy, based in the Philippines, occasionally cruising to Indonesia and China. Louise was in Halcyon, and devoted to the daily activities of The Temple of the People. Louise’s letters depict everyday life during the Great Depression. Herb’s letters offer insights into world conditions as the Japanese are attacking China, and as Germany’s aggression in Europe escalates. They write hundreds of letters to each other, which were saved. Herb and Louise tell their own story, through these letters. It is an endearing and informative story, entitled “A World Apart.”