Northwest Iowa resident author Renae Vander Schaaf will present an Author Talk at the Orange City Public Library. Vander Schaaf is the author of two books, A Place of Refuge, and A Place of New Beginnings, which was released this year.

A Place of Refuge is set in Pella, Iowa.It brings forth the reasons why the Van Der Zuiden family The Netherlands, and why after just two decades at Pella, they are planning a move to northwest Iowa and sets the stage for the second book. A visit to the state’s Agricultural Fair and blackberry picking are some of the highlights.

Its sequel, A Place of New Beginnings, published in 2016, begins with wagons packed and ready to leave Pella for northwest Iowa. Along the way they did experience horse thievery and a capsized wagon. The book continues with some of the joys and sorrows of building a new home.

Both books are based are historical fact, but are told in story form with Elsje Van Der Zuiden, a young girl as the main character.

Vander Schaaf plans to show slides that correspond with the two books at the Orange City Public Library on Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m.