Lori Venturella ’98 and Katie David ’97 bring history to life for readers and students

Lori Walther Venturella ’98 has a new book, Feathers of Inheritance, that is now in publication. It is set in the years from the Civil War through the late 1800s, and tells the stories of how “... through these two generations that we learn inheritance is passed down, not only through blood, but through sacrifice and hope.” The book is available through Amazon-Kindle.

Recent reviews of the book have given it high praise:

Vividly detailed with strong characters. A lyrical feel that takes you back into the world of war and love and the hardship people endured.

I considered myself a civil war buff, but … the author’s descriptions make you feel like you are there witnessing all this pain and beauty.

The story is full of suspense and … teaches a lot about how we live with our relatives and how we treat people with special needs.

This author has a fresh new voice who takes her readers to the very soul of her characters.

Lori received her BS in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Edgewood College, Madison, Wisconsin. She has taught Orton-Gillingham since 2009. Lori currently lives in Verona, Wisconsin with her husband and two sons.


Ninth grade history teacher Katie David ’97 was featured in an article by the Portage Daily Register and the story was expanded upon in a blog by TCI, a K-12 publishing company created by teachers for teachers. TCI interviewed Katie about the implementation of the Pursuing American Ideals Program at Pardeeville High School in Wisconsin.

Katie says, “I’m a believer in projects. I like my students to demonstrate their understanding… [through] a variety of different skills–from drawing maps to writing songs–which allow me to differentiate instruction and test multiple intelligences without constantly inventing new projects. My students love the lessons that get them out of their chairs, especially the activities that have them take on a role – immigrant, muckraker, etc.”

“Like my students, I love the activities that have them moving around and looking at authentic sources. I have not utilized many of the online features yet due to my students’ irregular access to computers. As our district grows less reliant on paper-based assessments, however, I think they will be more relevant to my teaching style.”