A new collection of poems and paintings from the heartland

Born in Germany and raised in rural Iowa, Bernadine Krull lived the American dream. She lived the life of a woman on the farm, working hard and raising a family.

But she did something that set her apart from others – she wrote poems and painted to capture the essence of life in the Upper Midwest.

This book collects many of those heartfelt poems and vivid paintings all in one place.

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Art from living, for living

Bernadine wrote these poems to help live a life, to make sense of it, to capture it. The paintings serve as snapshots of tranquility amidst the bustle of daily life. Hers was a full, rich life – documented so well in these words and images.

The 55 poems are divided into chapters that reflect what was most important to Bernadine: nature, love, friends, life, community, faith, Christmas, celebrations, and remembrances.

Brilliant images

The first painting is from 1937 and the last is from the mid-2000s, spanning Bernadine's entire painterly journey. We've reproduced 54 of them in this book in full color on high-quality, 80# coated paper.

This edition features 182 pages with an easy-to-read type size. The glossy cover and 6" x 9" size make it easy-to-hold.

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History and context

The Beauty That Surrounds Me includes a dedication, preface, and an historical foreword by Clinton Forry, Bernadine's grandson. It also includes scans of historical documents, vintage family photos, and more.

Profits from the sale of this book will be donated to the Clarksville Public Library in Bernadine's longtime home of Clarksville, Iowa.