If A Store Could Talk…: The Spiegler Family Remembers

‘If A Store could Talk…The Spiegler Family Remembers’ is a wonderful walk through a specific aspect of the history of a true American community that tells the story of one important family that managed to stick together through thick and thin. It’s a representation of love, respect and hard work that passed from generation to generation, which allowed them to succeed in experiencing the American dream.

–Todd Wessell, Editor,

Des Plaines Journal & Topics

Allan Spiegler has rescued his family history and lore from the proverbial dustbin of history. Stories and perspectives that could never be found in newspapers or retail ledgers are now written down for all to read. This is the legacy of a family on the frontier. Not the fictional frontier of cowboy movies, but the real frontier of American immigration, commerce, and suburban life as it progressed through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The stories and lessons are nigh universal.

–Philip Mohr, Executive Director,

Des Plaines History Center

A slice of 20th century Americana in an engaging account of a locally prominent and influential Midwestern merchant family in the 20th century. Easy reading with many touching anecdotes.

–Roy Hansen,

Family friend and former employee

Allan is retired social worker who has been a consultant, therapist, and child welfare supervisor. He grew up in the towns of Des Plaines and Mount Prospect, Illinois, and is currently living in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of the award-winning books Tremors in the Cloister and Clark Street Whole Foods Baking.