William Schmidt and his parents bought an old home in 1986. During the next year, they named it Pinehaven. This is the story of life in rural Ohio, just west of Dayton, in the town of Farmersville. Old homes need work, tender loving care, are interesting to explore, and Pinehaven is no exception.

The book has two interesting photos of Pinehaven, the first from near 1900, the second (an aerial photo) from 1990. Nearly 300 pages long, there are 12 chapters telling of life at Pinehaven during each month of the year. You will find this to be more than a story about Pinehaven, though.

Pinehaven is a collection of short stories and one can read about Montgomery County and of William Schmidt and his family. You will find out how the name "Pinehaven" came about. Don't miss the first New Year's Eve, the daily walks down a country road with dad, the "Pipe Brigade", the "Bottle Farm", Schmidt's love of Michigan, diaries and journals, Comet Hale Bopp, the milkman, and William Schmidt's account of each season of the year as they come and go. William Schmidt is quite observant and shares his findings and opinions about mother nature, religion, government, and of life, too.

William Schmidt's writing is very descriptive and closely resembles that of Laura Ingalls Wilder in her "Little House on the Prairie" series. Those of you who are Laura Ingalls Wilder fans will find the "A Little House Sampler" to be quite similar as Laura and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, wrote similar stories of an earlier time.

Without waiting until the end to write an autobiography, I find "Pinehaven" a great way to describe life presently, tell your personal history, and share your thoughts and feelings. It is like visiting the author and listening to him talk to you.

"Pinehaven" is one of the best books that I have ever read. I strongly recommend "Pinehaven" for your reading pleasure.