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Adelsverein: The Harvesting brings the saga of the Becker and Richter families in the Texas Hill Country to a triumphant conclusion in this final volume of the Adeslverein Trilogy.

The war is over and the soldiers return home, to take up their old lives  . . .  if they can. The end of the Civil War has left the South broken and defeated. Too many young men are dead, too many families destroyed, homes left wrecked and desolate. And yet there is hope in the ashes, for Hansi Richter and his daughter Anna, for the widowed Magda Becker, her son Dolph and his cousin Peter Vining – all who have the strength, the heart and the courage to begin building their lives again  . . .  and to dare to venture the first steps on a new path.

A path of silver and gold, a bold new venture into the wilderness . . . yet the malice of an old enemy still haunts Dolph Becker, and the constant terror of raids by Comanche Indians may yet destroy Hansi Richter’s family, and the sanity of his wife, Liesel.

Adelsverein: The Harvesting – it’s the story of a family, building a life, a future  . . . and building America!

What others are saying...

Adelsverein is a fact-filled and dramatic fictionalization of the experiences of the hardy folk who founded Friedrichsburg, and a welcome addition to the growing list of HNS reviewed regional historicals. The love story of strong-minded Magda Steinmetz and Carl “Dutch” Becker, a gun-totin’ survivor of the infamous Goliad Massacre, adds a colorful thread of romantic interest. This enjoyable page turner is definitely recommended

—Juliet Waldron, Historical Novels Review

Thousands anxiously emigrated to a new land, only to experience a frightening and often deadly sea voyage followed by hardship when they reached their destination. Disease, insects, snakes, droughts, tornadoes, famine, lame horses, outlaws, Comanches, plus shortages of ammunition and medical supplies were constant hazards. The plucky survivors built settlements and established ranches while Texas itself went through political growing pains … a good historical lesson about pre-Civil War Texas

—Phyllis Morreale-De la Garza, True West

I was amazed with the accuracy of the detail . . .  very much in line with everything that I had ever learned not only in the history books but the legends and lore of the families and their ancestors. Putting meat on the bones of history and describing the effects of persons and their actions on one another completely overwhelmed me.

—Kenn Knopp, German Heritage Foundation, Fredericksburg, Texas

… a wonderfully complete picture of an era, and unforgettable memories of the engaging and sturdy families whose type formed the backbone of this nation … the great strength of the trilogy is that we experience those events not on the battlefield or in distant places, but on the home front. … To the Steinmetz family the news was minimal and late, and there were no guarantees of anything: disaster was an ever-present possibility. Random events could (and did) upset everything at any time. No matter what, the housework had to be done; the animals and crops had to be tended, and the family had to be raised. Such is life, and such is the power of literature.  The author's historical accuracy is meticulous, her writing clean and true: she brings an entire era to marvelous life. If you don't know the Texas hill country, you will after you read The Adelsverein Trilogy. I thought I knew it, but the Texas hill country will never look the same to me now. 

—Dr. Al Past, PODBRAM.com

… A superb ability to describe the natural world that will have the reader sharing the wonder of discovery with the Steinmetz family. As well as the beauty of new found lands the reader will share the warmth of new love, the horror of a massacre, and the heartbreak of the death of loved ones – most of which are the result of disease.

—Western Fiction Review

A moving story of coming to America and making one's mark, while retaining one's heritage…

—Midwest Book Reviews

Hayes has taken a relatively obscure piece of Texan history and created an interesting family to tell its story.… The saga is rich in detail from the hellish nightmare of the sea journey to the beauty of the hill country. 

—Beth Cummings, Armchair Interviews