Mary R. Davidsaver

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Mary R. Davidsaver

Goodreads Author


Born
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The United States
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Member Since
October 2013


Mary Davidsaver was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. She had no choice but to attend school in Iowa City because generations of family craftsmen helped build the county courthouse, the dormitories, and the student union.

That tradition of craftsmanship had her living in Bishop Hill, an Illinois state historic site and a national historic landmark, first as a silversmith and then as a writer, for twenty-four years. She and her husband have returned to Iowa.

Clouds Over Bishop Hill is her first book and is published by MWC Press, an imprint of the Midwest Writing Center, Rock Island, Illinois.

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Mary R. Davidsaver I view writing as a process of piecing words and sentences together in a coherent manner that conveys the meaning I want to achieve. I liken it to mak…moreI view writing as a process of piecing words and sentences together in a coherent manner that conveys the meaning I want to achieve. I liken it to making a good piece of jewelry: attractive, functional, and fun to wear.

Writing is work and the fun part doesn't always show up right away. But when everything clicks and I feel I've done my best that satisfied feeling is there.

Add to that the importance of dealing with major themes, such as preservation, and I get the feeling I might have made a contribution.(less)
Mary R. Davidsaver Don't stop with your first draft. The magic happens with the rewrites. Keep going after the right word in the right place. There's joy in making a tig…moreDon't stop with your first draft. The magic happens with the rewrites. Keep going after the right word in the right place. There's joy in making a tightly plotted story unfold.(less)
Average rating: 4.03 · 38 ratings · 10 reviews · 3 distinct worksSimilar authors
Clouds Over Bishop Hill

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 27 ratings4 editions
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Shadows Over Bishop Hill (B...

4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings2 editions
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Winter Worlds: Three Stories

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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

My Milkweed and Monarch Year of Panic Gardening


My 2025 Monarch Season inDavenport, IA started out with failure. My crop of millkweed wasextremely limited, much more so than last year. I had no idea whywhat few plants I had were only growing along the edge of my garden,and new shoots were struggling to grow in the nearby lawn. How couldI feed any more than the first few arrivals? I consulted my bestgo-to resource books and blogs. 

Firstup w

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Published on September 17, 2025 06:38
Clouds Over Bishop Hill Shadows Over Bishop Hill
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Building Great Se...
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The Naturalist So...
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by Carrie Vaughn (Goodreads Author)
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An Education in t...
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Mary’s Recent Updates

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Reacher by Lee Child
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This was my introduction to Lee Child as a solo writer and to Jack Reacher as his creation. Loved it all: The insight into his creative process. The info on publishing. The historical view points. The bits of trivia on each book. His philosophical vi ...more
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Reacher by Lee Child
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Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories
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The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
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I enjoyed this visit with the Murder Club gang.
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Those Opulent Days by Jacquie Pham
Those Opulent Days
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This audio book had a lot going for it: a fine stable of voice actors giving us an authentic feel for the language and a pre-Vietnam war time line. French colonialism was explored as four upper class friends, one French and the others "native", from ...more
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly  Jackson
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I liked this a lot. Liked the formatting and the use of current technology for info gathering and networking. Thought it dragged a bit at times. Was a bit annoyed at the ending, but I imagine the author felt she had to do it. It did all worked out.
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Riding the Nightmare by Lisa Tuttle
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The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
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Man o' War by Cory McCarthy
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I enjoyed reading this book mainly for the voice of the protagonist, and followed his journey through high school, college, and beyond. I have to admit that this "Boomer" was indeed confused about pronouns, but, come on, so was the protagonist, and I ...more
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Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa by Rachelle Chase
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“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.”
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