author’s note

No immigrant who arrived in Wisconsin in the middle of the nineteenth century had an easy time. Still, the trials faced by the Belgians who settled in Kewaunee, Brown, and southern Door Counties were especially daunting. Their stories are honored at the restored Belgian Farm at Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Green Bay, and through programs and exhibits at the Belgian Heritage Center in Namur.

Through my fictional characters I’ve tried to present an accurate picture of the Belgian immigrants’ experiences, but as always, minor details have been changed to serve the plot. The Belgian Farm buildings were moved to Heritage Hill in the early 1980s, but the establishment of the Belgian Heritage Center in Namur is a more recent development. The Center is located in the former St. Mary of the Snows church, which was closed and decommissioned in 2001; preservation efforts began in 2010. Also, Green Bay’s Gala Reception for the Belgian Delegation took place in 1917, not 1919.

To learn more about the featured locations:

Heritage Hill State Historical Park
http://heritagehillgb.org

Belgian Heritage Center
http://www.belgianheritagecenter.org

Neville Public Museum
http://www.nevillepublicmuseum.org

The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help
https://www.shrineofourladyofgoodhelp.com