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Hello and welcome! I’m Neal De Geus, and pleased to introduce you to my book, “The Corner Lot.” This framed historical novel weaves a tale of friendship, adventure, and family legacy that spans generations and continents.
A Tale of Friendship, Adventure, and Family Legacy
“The Corner Lot” was inspired by a Great Depression era story and a lecture by the American author and philosopher Neil Postma given at the First Baptist Church in Vancouver, BC in 2000. The narrative begins with a chance meeting on an Amsterdam dock in 1873 between two young men—one a Catholic from southern Holland and the other a Mennonite leaving his family on the doorstep of Russia. Their remarkable and enduring friendship led them through the post-Civil War South, across the great southern deserts, and up into the Central Valley of California, where they established a successful farm on an arid, rock-strewn property just east of the newly incorporated city of Bakersfield.
Three generations later, Rachel, the great-granddaughter of both men, collaborates with her mother, Rosalie, to document the family’s story. Rosalie’s intimate knowledge of the events and rumors surrounding the loss of their homestead during the Great Depression, the purchase of a small unowned corner of their land, and her determined efforts behind the scenes are all integral to the narrative. “The Corner Lot” begins with Rachel’s discovery of an old English legend linked to her Swedish surname and follows the events leading to the eventual redemption of the family fortune.
Neal is the author of “The Corner Lot,” a historical novel which traces the remarkable relationship between two young men, one a Mennonite who has traveled from eastern Europe and the other a Catholic from southern Holland. Their enduring friendship begins on an Amsterdam dock in 1873 and is reflected in their family legacies spanning three generations.
Join him on the memorable journey of discovery of a young girl, Rachel, who first discovers the origin of her Swedish surname through an ancient English legend and then convinces her mother Rosalie to help in writing down the family stories of the two men who were to become her great-grandfathers.
Travel with them through the post-Civil War south, across the southern deserts and up into the Central Valley of California where they pool their resources and build a life for themselves on an arid rock-strewn section of land just east of Bakersfield. Theirs becomes a remarkable friendship which transcends differences and instills a resilience which enables the following generation to endure the malice of the Great Depression.
It’s also a coming-of-age story of a young girl struggling to find her place within the family’s story and one of her resilient mother whose discovery of the eventual benefactor’s long-held secret leads to the redemption of the family fortune. Through disappointment and despair she is driven to see the completion of her final mission.
“Gone, he left last night with his cattle, goats, everything … family in carts,” Simon reported.
Glaring back at him, he roared: “You find him! No, I’ll find him!”
It didn't take Simon long to learn the reason for their sudden appearance.
Neal De Geus brings this rich family saga to life, weaving together themes of friendship, perseverance, and legacy. His sense of adventure began while boarding the Holland America Line SS Rotterdam in New York City at the age of four. Flying small airplanes over the wilderness of Alaska while earning his commercial pilot’s license led to a lifelong passion for aviation and sailing, further enriching the story’s backdrop. Join him on this remarkable journey through history, adventure, and family heritage in “The Corner Lot,” a novel that will captivate readers with its vivid storytelling and unforgettable characters.
Neal is currently working on his second book, “The Accidental Pilot: a personal journey.” It’s a detailed account of his efforts to compensate for a significant attention deficit, the related difficulty with processing verbal communications, and learning how to do more than thing at the same time. Figuring out the limitations and performance possibilities of small airplanes led to more than a few learning situations.