For centuries the remote enclave of Dithmarschen on the edge of the North Sea weathered storms-both natural and political. A free farmer's republic during medieval times, the management of storm surges and repulsion of threats to autonomy kept the region safe and out of the hands of surrounding interests; until freedoms were ultimately lost to Danish forces in 1559. Piece by piece, ancestral history is methodically unearthed by a researcher intent on pursuing every lead. Arriving from the Duchy of Holstein, now part of the northernmost state of modern Germany, from North-Rhine Westphalia and from Pomerania, a Low German language bond is formed on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in the Midwestern states of Iowa and Illinois. Decisions to forgo homes during turbulent times do not come easy, but the reasons for leaving will finally gain traction after the saga commences in 1634 despite those who remain behind. But all is not sunshine and roses after immigration as The Bend of the Road ~ Tiding Westward continues to unwind. Family hardships will come in equal measure to newfound opportunities. This second volume in the Heritage Saga series follows The Way Back Home ~ Finding Rose.