Stories about their family's immigration from Russia to Dakota Territory in the 1870s prompted sisters Joan Mueller Peters and Lisa Mueller Howard to dig into the details. Their research included time at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives (HHM&A) where they found documents that helped them flesh out the story that became their book "Katy: The Little Rose from Ukraine."

Published this summer, the book shares the experiences of Katherine "Katy" Mueller, who was five when she arrived in Turner County in 1874. She was the oldest daughter of Rev. Christian Mueller. Their family had traveled from the area of Russia we know today as Ukraine to Dakota Territory.

The sisters will share details about their research and the process of writing their book in a program on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 18. The program will begin at 3 p.m. at the Interpretive Center at the Freeman Prairie Arboretum adjacent to HHM&A, which is sponsoring the presentation.

The sisters grew up hearing stories from their father, Bruce, and his love of history spilled over into Joan and Lisa's lives. Intrigued with the stories of their family's history, they began imagining what it would have been like living through the challenges and adversities their forebears experienced.

"We have been talking about writing a book for a long time, kicking around numerous ideas," they write in their acknowledgments. The result is the book, described as historical fiction and geared for readers aged about 8 to 13. It tells the immigration story through the eyes of Katy, their great-grandfather’s oldest sister. "Everything we wrote is based on facts and is based on things that actually happened, and then we elaborated on that," they explain.

Marnette D. (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist at HHM&A, says the book offers a unique perspective that engages all ages.

"Most of the history books on our shelves are from an adult point of view and they are valuable for their facts, figures and explanations," she said. "This book is refreshingly different, as Joan and Lisa chose to write ‘Katy: The Little Rose from Ukraine’ through the eyes of a child.”

In her review of the novel, Hofer wrote, "Katy's story captures the innocence of children, their imagination and wonder, and their tendency sometimes to be unaware of potential consequences. It humanizes the stern faces of those we have seen in faded black-and-white images or as names on long-forgotten tombstones. These were real people, with hopes and dreams and led by their faith in God, picking up their lives and starting over in a new country, far away from the people and the places they had called home."

In addition to the Aug. 18 program in Freeman, Mueller Howard and Mueller Peters will be having a book signing at the HHM&A Mercantile from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Admission to the program includes the opportunity to tour the museum before and after the Sunday program – 1 to 5 p.m. Regular summer hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and other times by appointment from May through September.