Barbara, a devout Mennonite farm-girl, had been married less than a year when her husband suddenly vanished. Her safe and happy world disappeared along with him. Who was this man she had wed? Why would he leave for months at a time, returning to a family in need empty handed? The unexpected truth would lead her through years of pain and heartache, fighting for the survival of not only her marriage, but their children as well. Soft Like Steel is the true story of Barbara's courageous journey, as laid out in the pages of her hand-written journal. Set against a backdrop of Nebraska and Iowa during the devastation of the Dust Bowl and World War II, it is a tale of much more than mere survival. It is a testimony to an incredible woman whose love and devotion rescued her family from the curses of the past into lives of stability, purpose and joy.