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Butter Wrap Letters

A Small Town's World War II Story Told One Christmas at a Time

9781969183218
100 pages
Little Creek Press
Overview

History doesn't get more personal than this. A Wisconsin community's World War II story told through one extraordinary Christmas letter.

One piece of butter wrap. One small town. Dozens of voices that refused to be forgotten.

In the Christmas season of 1943, the people of Grafton, Wisconsin filled a long sheet of butter wrapping paper with handwritten messages for their hometown milkman serving in the U.S. Navy. What began as a simple holiday greeting became an extraordinary time capsule of American life during World War II.

Through these heartfelt messages and the stories behind them, Heather Bode reveals how ordinary families experienced rationing, celebrations, hardship, hope, and the daily realities of a nation at war. Preserved for more than eighty years, this remarkable artifact offers an intimate portrait of the Greatest Generation—and a powerful reminder that history is often found in the most unexpected places.

Author Bio
Heather Bode is an educator and the author of numerous nonfiction books for young readers. Passionate about making history accessible and engaging, she combines meticulous research with compelling storytelling to help readers connect with the people behind the past. Butter Wrap Letters marks her first book exploring World War II and her own family's history. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.