Eighth Chapter of Statewide One Book Program Features William Kent Krueger
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, July 11, 2022 – The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, announces the eighth chapter of One Book | One Minnesota, a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. The eighth title for the program is Iron Lake by Minnesota author William Kent Krueger. Presented in partnership with State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, the program aims to bring Minnesotans together and highlight the role of libraries as community connectors.
From July 11 through September 4, through their local libraries, Minnesotans will be invited to read the featured book selection and will have access to reading guides and virtual book club discussions. Readers can access the ebook and audiobook for free on Ebooks Minnesota for eight weeks and will need to create an account to access the free materials. All Minnesotans are invited to participate in a statewide discussion with the author:
Virtual Author Discussion, featuring William Kent Krueger in conversation with Ellen Hart
Thursday, August 11 | 7:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public | Registration required
In addition to the digital formats, hard copies of the book will be available through public libraries, and through independent stores across the state. Links to resources and more information can be found at thefriends.org/onebook.
About Iron Lake
Iron Lake is the first novel in the bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series and winner of the Minnesota Book Award and Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered over losing his job as a cop and over the marital meltdown that has separated him from his wife and children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago’s South Side, there’s not much that can shock him. But when a powerful local politician is brutally murdered the same night a young Indian boy goes missing, Cork takes on a harrowing case of corruption, conspiracy, and scandal. As a blizzard buries Aurora, Cork must dig for answers before more people, among them those he loves, will die.
Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He’s been married for nearly fifty years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last nine novels were all New York Times bestsellers. Ordinary Grace, his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. The companion novel, This Tender Land, was published in September 2019 and spent nearly six months on the New York Times bestseller list.
One Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, in partnership with State Library Services and sponsored by SPIRE Credit Union. Program partners also include Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators; Mackin VIA; Minitex; the Minnesota Department of Education; Recorded Books; and Simon & Schuster. This program is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, as well as through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Links to resources and more information can be found at thefriends.org/onebook.
About The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library:
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is the Library of Congress-designated Center for the Book in Minnesota. As our state’s Center for the Book, The Friends promotes reading, literacy, libraries, and books statewide. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1945, The Friends acts as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities. The Friends invests in the Saint Paul Public Library through fundraising, advocacy, and programming; as a result, our Library is a nationally-recognized leader in serving its community. The Friends also serves libraries across the country and internationally through its consulting services, Library Strategies. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit thefriends.org.
About Minnesota State Library Services
State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
About Ebooks Minnesota
Ebooks Minnesota is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages, and features content from our state’s independent publishers, including some of our best literature and nonfiction. Ebooks Minnesota is a joint project of Minitex and the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services. It is hosted on the Mackin VIA platform, which helps provide barrier-free access to everyone in Minnesota. The collection was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.