Penfield books

Penfield books is a publisher and distributor founded in 1979 by Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret and her late husband John Zug. The company specializes in distributing books of interest to those of Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Irish, Italian, Mexican, Norwegian, Polish, Scandinavian, Scottish, Slovak, Swedish, and Ukrainian descent. It also carries postcards, magnets, and magnetic bookmarks, and publishes titles under the Penfield Books imprint.

The business is located at 215 Brown Street in Iowa City, Iowa, and has been operating since 1979, making it 47 years old as of 2026. It operates under the direction of its new owner, Forrest Heusinkveld, since 2022, following the death of founder Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret in 2022.

The company offers a wide variety of ethnic titles, including specific categories such as Amish Titles, Christmas Cookbooks, and a popular 3-1/2 x 5-1/2″ Stocking Stuffer series. They also stock larger 6 x 9″ titles for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, along with CDs, cassettes, DVDs, and videos.

According to the website, the company was recognized as a Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) 2008 prize winner for the title License to Cook Missouri Style and a 2007 prize winner for Recetas De Vieho Mexico. Their founder's autobiography also won the Benjamin Franklin Award in 2012.

Multiple reviewers praise the website for being user-friendly, easy to navigate, and straightforward, with a smooth checkout process that makes finding and ordering books simple. Many customers also highlight the fast shipping and the fact that books arrive in perfect or excellent condition.

The Trustburn rating is 4.1 out of 5 based on 12 reviews, with a mix of 5-star, 4-star, and 3-star ratings from 2022 and 2023. The reviews are relatively recent, with the most recent one posted in October 2023.

A first-time customer should know that the company distributes both its own titles and books of related topics from other publishers, offering a diverse selection for various ethnic backgrounds. They also offer a permanent plaque on the 'Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge' in downtown Des Moines as part of their recognition.

The company is named in honor of the publisher's grandmother, Eva Adora Penfield, whose family history includes joining the last covered wagon train west in the 1870s. This unique heritage is reflected in their focus on ethnic literature.

The company offers a variety of items beyond books, including postcards, magnets, and magnetic bookmarks, which are part of their broader catalog of ethnic interest products. They also provide a range of sizes for their titles, from small stockers to larger 6 x 9″ formats.

The website mentions that Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret was a photographer for over thirty years before becoming a publisher, and she was referred to as the 'Premiere Iowa woman photographer of this century' by the State Historical Society of Iowa. This background influences the artistic and visual nature of their catalog.

The company has a sister company called Penfield Press, founded in 1979, and Penfield Books was established in 2001 to publish and distribute existing Penfield Press titles as well as new titles. This structure allows for a diverse range of publications under different imprints.

Penfield books is located at 215 Brown St, Iowa City, Iowa.

You can reach Penfield books by phone at 13193379998.

The official website of Penfield books is penfieldbooks.com.

Penfield books has official profiles on Facebook.