Flint Bluff

An Iowa native has penned a novel, which should be of interest to readers in the area. He will be in Burlington on Friday, Oct. 28, for a book signing.

Author and former Iowan, James (Jim) Duermeyer will be available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at “Burlington by the Book,” 301 Jefferson Street, to sign his book, FLINT BLUFF. The book is an historical fiction set on the Mississippi River at the wilderness village of Burlington.

While Duermeyer is a native of Oskaloosa, his grandparents and parents grew up in Burlington. Hence, he spent many days in Burlington visiting relatives while growing up.
Duermeyer said the book “follows the lives of two immigrant families as they emigrated from Germany to the United States, finally settling in the wilderness of the newly opened Black Hawk Purchase at the location which is now Burlington, Iowa.”

He weaves a colorful tapestry of what life was like in the early 1800s for families along the way, the author interjects humor, character-building, pathos, love, war, crime, and spirituality.

Duermeyer is a graduate of William Penn University at Oskaloosa, holding a B.A. in Social science/business and an M.A. degree from the University of Texas, Arlington. He served nearly four years active duty in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, later completing 20 years and retiring as a Navy Commander.

Books are available at JamesDuermeyer.com or wherever you buy books.

The Silver Medal Winner – Best Regional Fiction has been awarded to James Duermeyer for his book, FLINT BLUFF, An American Saga.

A great escape. I enjoyed the book. It starts out a little slow, but gets better and better as it goes along. The story lines were great; I couldn’t put it down once I got into it.

This book is a great read. It does not pretend to be an authoritative book on dates, facts, or persons of this era. What it does do, in a very admirable and accurate way, is give life, passion, humor, soul, anxiety and excitement to the participants of this era, location, and time. One can love the characters, and I did. Because of the author’s skillful story-telling, it is easy to imagine and even participate in the lives of the books’s families ad other significant characters. The American 19th century was not kind to our Native Peoples and African-Americans, but the author treats their appearance and participation in this saga with sensitivity and compassion. When I had to put this book down, temporarily, I wanted to come back to it immediately. There can be no finer tribute.