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Please note that masks are currently optional at Boswell. Please understand that some events may still require masks and have other requirements at the author's request - see individual event listings for details.
Ashley Winstead, author of The Boyfriend CandidateAuthor Ashley Winstead joins us from Texas for a virtual afternoon event featuring The Boyfriend Candidate, a laugh-out-loud romcom about learning to embrace living outside your comfort zone. In conversation with romance enthusiast and Boswellian Rachel Copeland.
Click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of The Boyfriend Candidate as well.
As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek—in bed!—she decides she needs to change, starting with her first one-night stand. Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. When their hookup is interrupted by a hotel fire, and the two end up partially clothed, in the street—and it turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot politician challenging the Texas Governor’s seat. The salacious images are poised to sink his career—and jeopardize Alexis’s job—until a solution is proposed: to squash the scandal, he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day... in two months. What could possibly go wrong?
Publishers Weekly gave The Boyfriend Candidate a starred review: "Readers will cheer Alexis on her path to discovering her inner strength and swoon over idealistic Logan. This is a winner.” And Rachel agrees, saying “Political romance novels should be so difficult to write, but Winstead manages to make it look easy. And I'm allergic to politics! I was clapping with glee, yelling "just kiss already!" randomly, gesticulating wildly to make well thought-out points to fictional characters who couldn't possibly see me, and it was so much fun.” This series starts with Fool Me Once, and luckily there's plenty of time to catch up - order the first book here!
Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a PhD in contemporary American literature. She writes both romantic comedy and thrillers centering strong women.
Stacey Abrams, author of Rogue Justice: A ThrillerBoswell Book Company and Milwaukee Film present a very special, ticketed event with #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams and her latest novel, Rogue Justice, another riveting, intricately plotted thriller that follows up While Justice Sleeps.
Tickets cost $38 and each includes admission and one copy of Rogue Justice. The first 500 people to buy tickets will get an autographed copy, too! Please click here and visit mkefilm.org/staceyabrams to purchase your tickets now.
In Rogue Justice, a blackmailed federal judge, a secret court, and a brazen murder may lead to an unprecedented national crisis. Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene is back, trying to get her feet on solid ground after unraveling an international conspiracy. But as the sparks of Congressional hearings and political skirmishes swirl around her, Keene is approached by an unassuming fellow law clerk who believes his boss, a recently murdered federal judge, was being blackmailed before her death.
Drawn from today’s headlines and woven with her unique insider perspective, Stacey Abrams combines twisting plotlines, wry wit, and clever puzzles to create another immensely entertaining and suspenseful novel.
Stacey Abrams served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives and was the first Black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, voting rights, and effective public policy. She is also author of While Justice Sleeps.
Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Good Night, IrenePulitzer finalist and acclaimed novelist Luis Alberto Urrea visits with his new novel, a searing epic based on the magnificent and true story of heroic Red Cross women on the front lines of WWII, which draws inspiration from his mother’s own Red Cross service.
Click here to visit luisalbertourreamke.eventbrite.com and register for this event, please. And be sure to order your copy of Good Night, Irene, as well.
What if a friendship forged on the front lines of war defines a life forever? In the tradition of The Nightingale and Transcription, Urrea’s latest is a searing epic based on a magnificent and true story. In 1943, Irene Woodward abandons an abusive fiancé in New York to enlist with the Red Cross and head to Europe. She makes fast friends in training with Dorothy Dunford, a towering Midwesterner with a ferocious wit. After D-Day, these two join the Allied soldiers streaming into France. Urrea’s story of women’s overlooked heroism in World War II is an affecting and uplifting portrait of friendship and valor in harrowing circumstances.
Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins, says: "Good Night, Irene is a marvel of storytelling, wrenching at times, breathlessly entertaining at others, a testament both to Urrea’s sublime talent and to his mother’s incredible life." And from Kristin Hannah: "A beautiful, heartfelt novel that celebrates the intense power and durability of female friendship while shining a light on one of the fascinating lost women’s stories of World War II. Powerful, uplifting, and deeply personal."
Luis Alberto Urrea is author of The Devil’s Highway, a Pulitzer finalist, as well as numerous other works of nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, including The Hummingbird’s Daughter and The House of Broken Angels, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. He has been recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, among many other honors.
Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, author of Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet WaysBoswell and Porchlight Book Company join forces once again to present a virtual event featuring writer, activist, and highly sensitive person Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, author of Social Justice for the Sensitve Soul, a book which empowers introverts, empaths, and other HSPs to find their roles within social justice work in the ways that best support their talents and avoid burnout. In conversation with Porchlight’s Managing Director Sally Haldorson. Cohosted by AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin.
Please click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul as well.
Often social justice work is imagined to be raised voices and raised fists in the streets, slums, villages, inner cities, and halls of political power. But what does social justice work look like for those of us who don't feel comfortable battling in the trenches? Sensitive souls have much to contribute to bringing about a more just and equitable world. Cheng-Tozun expands the possibilities of how to have a positive social impact, affirming the particular gifts and talents that sensitive souls offer to a hurting world.
Publishers Weekly writes: "This practical, energizing entry will prove a handy resource for the withdrawn." And from Karen Walrond, author of The Lightmaker's Manifesto: "Activism can feel imperative but daunting, especially for those of us who are introverts or shy. Cheng-Tozun proposes a quieter, but no less impactful, approach: her gentle guidance urges us to get curious about finding our way to quiet activism, allowing us all to join in the march toward making the world a brighter place. A soulful book."
Dorcas Cheng-Tozun is a writer and leader whose work with various nonprofits, social enterprises, and faith-based organizations has given her opportunity to engage with a broad range of social issues.
Claudia Gray, author of The Late Mrs. WilloughbyBoswell hosts a virtual event with Claudia Gray (the pen name of author Amy Vincent) for a chat about her new novel, a superior blend of humor and mystery that features Jane Austen’s beloved characters. Gray will be in conversation with Juneau Black – the pen name of Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel, the writing team behind the charming Shady Hollow mysteries.
Click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of The Late Mrs. Willoughby as well.
The last party Juliet Tilney attended involved a murder - which Juliet helped solve. Now, while visiting a new friend who is shrouded in scandal, Juliet is reunited with Jonathan Darcy. And just in time, too, as another murder takes place – this time of a rich woman who’s just been married for her fortune. As rumors fly, Jonathan and Juliet must team up once more to uncover the murderer. But as they collect clues and close in on suspects, eerie incidents suggest that the killer may strike again, and that the pair are in far graver danger than they or their families could imagine.
And here’s the Juneau Black take on the book: "Delightful. Claudia Gray is systematically taking out all of the unpleasant characters in Jane Austen’s novels, and I am here for it."
Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent, who is author of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. Juneau Black is the pseudonym of Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel, the writing team of the Shady Hollow books.
Mark Guarino, author of Country & Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk RevivalBoswell hosts an evening featuring Mark Guarino in conversation with Milwaukee-area musician Paul Cebar. They’ll talk about Guarino’s new book, Country & Midwestern, which reveals the untold story of Chicago’s pivotal role as a country and folk music capital.
Please click here to visit markguarinomke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Country & Midwestern now, too.
Chicago is revered as a musical breeding ground, having launched major figures like blues legend Muddy Waters, gospel soul icon Mavis Staples, and hip-hop firebrand Kanye West. Now, veteran journalist Mark Guarino tells the epic century-long story of Chicago’s influence on sounds typically associated with regions further south. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and deep archival research, Guarino tells a forgotten story of music, migration, and the ways that rural culture infiltrated urban communities through the radio, the automobile, and the railroad.
Country & Midwestern rediscovers a history as sprawling as the Windy City - celebrating the creative spirit that modernized American folk idioms, the colorful characters who took them into new terrain, and the music itself, which is still kicking down doors even today. From the starred Booklist review: "With an epic scope, gorgeous photographs, and useful discographies, this is a vital contribution to the history of American music and required reading for country and folk music fans."
Mark Guarino covers national news and culture from Chicago for the Washington Post, ABC News, the New York Times, and other outlets. He was the Midwest bureau chief for the Christian Science Monitor for seven years.
Kristine Hansen, author of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin: How America’s Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home StateBoswell Book Company presents an evening with Kristine Hansen, author of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin, a comprehensive guide to Wright’s designs (and those of his protégés) that are open to the public for the architecture or history fan looking for tours, overnight stays or creative inspiration.
Registration is required to attend, so click here to visit kristinehansenmke.eventbrite.com and reserve your space now. And be sure to preorder your copy of Frank Lloyd’s Wisconsin now, too.
Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867 in the rolling hills of Richland Center, Wisconsin, to a family of Unitarians and Quakers. Even with world-class commissions like New York City’s Guggenheim Museum, his organic architecture remains rooted in Wisconsin’s landscape, from affordable-housing prototypes in Milwaukee to his summer home and architecture school in rural Spring Green.
Bobby Tanzilo, author of Hidden History of Milwaukee, says "Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin is a long-overdue look inside the Wisconsin works of Wisconsin's greatest architect and the people who inhabit and care for them. Hansen's great stories are also beautifully illustrated, making this a must for all fans of Wright, of architecture and of Wisconsin's history and treasures."
Based in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, Kristine Hansen is a nationally recognized food, drinks and travel author with articles published on the websites for Architectural Digest and Travel and Leisure and in Milwaukee Magazine, and more. She is also the author of Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State’s Best Creameries.
Claire Fuller, author of The Memory of AnimalsBoswell hosts the author of novels such as Bitter Orange and Swimming Lessons for an evening featuring her latest, The Memory of Animals, a beautiful and searing novel of memory, love, survival, and octopuses. And stop in an hour before this even to join our sci fi book club’s discussion of Fuller’s novel - Fuller will join the club halfway through for a spoiler-friendly conversation!
Please click here to visit clairefullermke.eventbrite.com and register to attend this event. Note, this registration is for the 6:30 event. There is no registration to join the book club chat beforehand. Be sure to order your copy of The Memory of Animals, too. The book is officially on sale June 6, but we will able to get copies in your hands earlier in order to read the book in time. If you are interested in joining the book club meeting, please preorder the book from us and say "book club" in the notes.
In the face of a pandemic, an unprepared world scrambles to escape the mysterious disease. Neffy, a disgraced and indebted marine biologist, registers for an experimental vaccine trial in London - perhaps humanity’s last hope for a cure. Soon, she withdraws into projections of her past - a childhood bisected by divorce, a recent love affair, her obsessive research with octopuses, and the mistake that ended her career. Though isolated from the chaos outside, she and the other volunteers cannot hide from the mistakes that led them there.
The starred Publishers Weekly review calls Fuller's book, "A haunting novel of second chances." And from Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane: "Haunting and unsettling, moving and thoughtful - with horror lurking at the edges - this is a subtle, elegant novel, an interesting and unusual take on the meaning of pandemic."
Claire Fuller is author of Our Endless Numbered Days, which won the Desmond Elliott Prize, and Unsettled Ground, which won the Costa Novel Award and was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. She has an MA in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Winchester.
New Date! Greg Wade, author of Bread Head: Baking for the Road Less TraveledFormer Wisconsinite and James Beard Outstanding Baker Greg Wade joins us for a conversation about his new book, one of Food Network’s Best Cookbooks of 2022, which offers up a groovy master class in healthy, sustainable, naturally delicious breads of the new bread renaissance. In conversation with Milwaukee culinary historian and food essayist Cherek.
Please click here to register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Bread Head now as well.
Greg Wade is an expert in the out-of-this-world tastes and textures of long-fermented, hand-shaped breads. Wade is committed to spreading the love for local, organic flours and long-fermented sourdough loaves far and wide as he improves readers baking know-how, confidence, and zeal in the kitchen. From foundational recipes like Farmhouse Sourdough and Marbled Rye to unexpected and delicious bakes, the science and techniques of these inventive recipes will expand culinary repertoires.
From Amy Scherber of Amy’s Bread, NYC: "Greg Wade is an incredibly talented and passionate baker. From his own commitment to local grains to the mastery of sourdough, soakers, and porridges, he shares his knowledge about all the elements that make up his extraordinary bread. Greg’s curiosity and creativity shine through as he reminds us that baking is a lot of fun. He makes everything feel easy and accessible - this book is a gift to bakers at all levels and a must for the bakers of today!"
Greg Wade is the head baker at Chicago's Publican Quality Bread. He is an active member of local, regional, and national farming organizations devoted to producing ethical, quality ingredients.
SA Cosby, author of All the Sinners BleedSA Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears, is back with a new novel about the first Black sheriff in a small Southern town, and his hunt for a killer. In conversation with Chris Lee of Boswell.
Please click here to visit sacosbymke.eventbrite.com and register to attend this event. And be sure to order your copy of All the Sinners Bleed, too.
A year to the day after former FBI agent Titus Crown becomes the first Black sheriff of his small home town, a young Black man is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. Titus pledges to follow the truth wherever it leads. But no one expected he would unearth a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon. Dennis Lehane says: "American crime fiction has found its future and his name is S.A. Cosby."
The Boswellians love this book! From conversation partner Chris: "Cosby grabs the police procedural by the throat and dunks it into the murkiest depths of the Chesapeake Bay. As dark as a moonshine blackout." From Daniel Goldin: "Edge of your seat thrills, masterful storytelling, and what a voice - another winner from SA Cosby!" And from Rachel Copeland: "The real staying power comes from SA Cosby's voice and the undeniable truth of life in a small Southern town. If you assumed everyone in a small town knows each other, All the Sinners Bleed is here to disabuse you of that notion."
SA Cosby is the author of My Darkest Prayer; Razorblade Tears, which won two ITW Thriller Awards and was named to more than thirty Best of the Year lists; and Blacktop Wasteland, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was a New York Times Notable Book named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Guardian, and Library Journal, among others.
Jo Piazza, coauthor of You Were Always MineJo Piazza visits Boswell for an evening featuring You Were Always Mine, the second book she’s cowritten with Christine Pride, a follow-up to their Good Morning America Book Club pick, We Are Not Like Them. In conversation with Bookstagrammer Liz Hein.
Please click here to visit jopiazzamke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of You Were Always Mine now, too.
Piazza’s new work is a moving and provocative novel about motherhood, race, family, and belonging in which a Black woman finds an abandoned White baby, sending her on a collision course with her past, her family, and a birth mother who doesn't want to be found. The novel revolves around provocative and timely questions about race, class, and motherhood.
Jodi Picoult says: "The work of Jo Piazza and Christine Pride sits squarely at the tender intersection of race, class, and ethics - wrapped in beautiful prose and a killer plot that keeps you turning the pages... What makes a family? Who has the right to raise a child? Does race matter more than love or security? And perhaps most important of all - why don't we feel comfortable asking these questions? This novel will spark one of many conversations America should be having."
Jo Piazza is author of acclaimed novels including Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff, and How to Be Married. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Marie Claire. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and New York University.
Neil Diboll, author of The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie PlantsBoswell presents a special Saturday afternoon event with Neil Diboll, coauthor of The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants, a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated reference for all gardeners passionate about native plants and prairie restoration. Cohosted by Prairie Nursery.
For this event, Diboll will be in conversation with Mike Yanny. Click right here to visit neildibollmke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants now as well.
The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants is the one-stop compendium for all gardeners aspiring to use native prairie plants in their gardens. Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox—two renowned prairie gardeners—compile more than four decades’ worth of research to offer a wide-ranging and definitive reference for starting and maintaining prairie and meadow gardens and restorations.
This book provides all the inspiration and information necessary for eager native planters from across the country to welcome these plants back to their landscapes. The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants is a must-have reference for gardeners, restorationists, and every flora fan with a passion for native plants, prairies and meadows.
From Douglas W. Tallamy, University of Delaware: “If you are looking for the complete—and I do mean complete—guide to prairie ecosystems, you will not do better than this much-needed book. Diboll and Cox cover not only what prairie species look like at each of their growth stages (a first!), they also dive deep into their historical and ecological roles in prairie ecosystems.”
Neil Diboll has been president and consulting ecologist for Prairie Nursery, Inc. for over forty years, having previously held positions with the United States Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Cofrin Arboretum.
New Date! Barbara Mahany, author of The Book of Nature: The Astonishing Beauty of God's First Sacred TextJoin us for a conversation with beloved Chicago Tribune journalist Barbara Mahany who introduces us to The Book of Nature, an ancient theology that considers literature, science, theology, and practice in order to understand God's presence as first revealed to us in the natural world. In conversation with Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Arts and Books Editor Jim Higgins.
Click here to visit barbaramahanymke.eventbrite.com and register now for this event. And be sure to order your copy of The Book of Nature now as well.
Throughout millennia and across the monotheistic religions, the natural was often revered as a sacred text. By the Middle Ages, this text was given a name, 'The Book of Nature,' the first, best entry point for encounter with the divine. Weaving together the astonishments of science with the profound wisdom of thinkers, poets, and observers and her own spiritual practice and gentle observation, Mahany reintroduces us to The Book of Nature, her experiential framework of the divine.
From Booklist: "Mahany's lyrical, thoughtful, most recent work beautifully complements her shelf of awe-inspired books about nature and will appeal to fans of Shauna Niequist and Anne Lamott."
Barbara Mahany is an author and freelance journalist known for her features in the Chicago Tribune. She is the author of Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door.
Susie Luo, author of Paper NamesReadings from Oconomowaukee presents its June edition featuring Susie Luo, author of Paper Names, a thoughtful and page-turning novel about the American Dream as seen through the life of a Chinese-American family in New York.
Please click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of Paper Names now, too.
In Luo’s debut novel, an unexpected act of violence brings together a Chinese-American family and a wealthy white lawyer in this propulsive and sweeping story of family, identity, and the American experience. Set in New York and China and told from three different perspectives over the course of three decades, the book follows the lives of a Chinese-born engineer turned Manhattan doorman, his daughter, and a handsome white lawyer with a dark family secret. Perfect for fans of Jean Kwok and Mary Beth Keane.
Here’s Daniel Goldin’s take on the novel: "Two families, two economic trajectories, entwined by fate. While working as a doorman in Manhattan, Tony bonds with Oliver, a young lawyer who lives in the building, who agrees to give Tony’s daughter Tammy piano lessons. Like Tony, Oliver has also reinvented himself, distancing himself from his grandfather’s criminal past, but it might be difficult to outrun. I really liked the dual nature of the story - the multiple identities and reinvention, the parent/child expectations and disappointments. A captivating family drama!"
Susie Luo graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a JD from Cornell Law School. In addition to writing, she formerly worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.
an evening with Juno Dawson, author of You Need to ChillAuthor and activist Juno Dawson appears at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center for an event featuring her delightful and endearing picture book, You Need to Chill. Cohosted by Boswell.
Click right here to register for this event! You can order your copy of You Need to Chill now, too.
Dawson' debut picture book is a witty and fun-filled story about family, identity, and acceptance. When Bill can't be found at school one day, imaginations run wild. Is Bill on vacation? Lost in the park? Has he been eaten by a shark?! It's up to Bill's sister to explain: "You need to chill! My brother Bill is now my sister Lily." Bold, joyful and warm-hearted, its message of love and inclusivity shines through on every page.
Juno Dawson is author of This Book is Gay, What’s the T?, Her Majesty's Royal Coven, and the forthcoming release, The Shadow Cabinet. She is a columnist for Attitude magazine, and her writing has appeared in Glamour, The Pool, and The Guardian. Dawson is part of the queer cabaret collective known as Club Silencio, and in 2014 she became a School Role Model for the charity Stonewall.
Christina Gerhardt, author of Sea Change: An Atlas of Islands in a Rising OceanEnvironmental and Humanities scholar and journalist Christina Gerhardt appears at Boswell for an evening featuring her new book, Sea Change, an immersive portal to islands around the world which highlights the impacts of sea level rise and shimmers with hopeful solutions to combat it.
Please click here to visit christinagerhardtmke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Sea Change now, too.
Low-lying islands are least responsible for global warming, but they are suffering the brunt of it. This transportive atlas reorients our vantage point to place islands at the center of the story, highlighting Indigenous and Black voices and the work of communities taking action for local and global climate justice. Full of immersive storytelling, scientific expertise, and rallying cries from island populations that shout with hope, this atlas will galvanize readers in the fight against climate change and the choices we all face.
Rebecca Solnit says: "In Christina Gerhardt's stunning atlas of the present and future, we not only see these living places disappear in stages, but hear from their inhabitants in this mix of cartography, science, history, and urgent outcry about the climate crisis. This book makes tangible and visible both the physical changes and their cultural, emotional, and social impact."
Christina Gerhardt is Associate Professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and former Barron Professor of Environment and the Humanities at Princeton University. Her environmental journalism has been published by The Nation, The Progressive, and the Washington Monthly.
Leila Slimani, author of Watch Us DanceBoswell Book Company and Alliance Française de Milwaukee present a special virtual event featuring Franco-Moroccan author and journalist Leila Slimani, whose bestselling novel The Perfect Nanny earned her France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt. Slimani will spend an afternoon hour in conversation about her new novel, Watch Us Dance, a sophisticated tale of biracial siblings searching for their place in the newly independent Morocco of the 1960s.
Please click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of Watch Us Dance now as well.
It’s the 1960s, and the air is electric. On the cusp of adulthood, two biracial siblings - their father is Moroccan, their mother French - search for their place in a newly independent Morocco. Aicha, strong-willed and strait-laced, aspires to become a doctor and spends most of her time studying. Her free-spirited younger brother, Selim, falls in with the American and European hippies descending en masse on Tangier and Casablanca and Essaouira to do drugs and practice free love. Slimani draws on her family’s inspiring story to deliver a tense, provocative, page-turning novel about one family’s, and one country’s, coming of age in the face of the seductions of power and privilege.
From Publishers Weekly: "Convincing and immersive... An accomplished portrait of a time and place... Slimani continues to prove herself a powerful writer." And from Kirkus: "An illuminating intergenerational drama... Paint[s] a comprehensive picture of a family and a country in the grips of an identity crisis."
Leila Slimani is author of The Perfect Nanny, one of New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2018, as well as Sex and Lies and In the Country of Others. Slimani is French president Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for the promotion of the French language and culture and was ranked #2 on Vanity Fair France’s annual list of the Fifty Most Influential French People in the World.
JK Cheema, author of The Black Attaché: Vignettes from a LifeWisconsin author and retired US diplomat JK Cheema joins us for an evening at Boswell featuring her new memoir, The Black Attaché, which offers up an irresistible blend of history, travelogue, and reflection upon her life and work, which has taken her around the globe.
Please click here to visit jkcheemamke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of The Black Attaché as well.
With The Black Attaché, Cheema takes readers on a journey from a childhood in India, where Cheema lived through the partition of India and Pakistan, nearly dying on the last train out of Pakistan during the riots, to her career as an American diplomat stationed in hardship posts around the world. With honesty and warmth, Cheema describes her childhood memories and events from places like Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Burkina Faso, amongst others where she has lived and worked.
Born in 1942 to a Sikh family in Lahore, Cheema grew up during tumultuous times as World War II raged and India and Pakistan split in two countries. After finishing her master's in social work from India, she immigrated to the United States, where she worked as an independent consultant with international organizations. In 1990, she joined the United States Agency for International Development and her work took her to Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Armenia, and Afghanistan.
JK Cheema has over twenty-five years of experience as an international development expert. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan. Cheema is also founder of A Place to Be a place for creative conversations and dialogue and learning.
Andrea Bartz, author of The Spare Room and Julia Bartz, author of The Writing Retreat Sisters Andrea and Julia Bartz appear at Elm Grove Public Library to discuss the release of their new books.
Click right here to register! And be sure to order your copies of The Spare Room and The Writing Retreat now, too. Boswell will be on hand to sell copies of the books.
From Julia Bartz comes The Writing Retreat, a psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare. Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat, with a twist: they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, but when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate. From the Kirkus starred review: ""The book's pacing—a slow roll of dread and horror—is exceptional... A perfect winter night's haunting."
And from Andrea Bartz comes The Spare Room. Kelly’s new life in Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare: She’s friendless and jobless, and the lockdown has her trapped in a tiny apartment with the man she gave up everything for, who’s just called off their wedding. The only bright spot is her newly rekindled friendship with her childhood friend Sabrina—now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband. When Sabrina and Nathan offer Kelly an escape hatch, she jumps at the chance to run away from her old life—until one night, a wild and unexpected threesome leads the couple to open their marriage for her. At first, Kelly loves being part of this risqué new world. But when she discovers the last woman they invited into their marriage is missing, she starts to wonder if they could be dangerous... and if she might be next. Nita Prose, author of The Maid, calls The Spare Room "An enticing, twisty, and seductive thriller about obsession, desire, and revenge."
Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here, The Lost Night, and The Herd. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Vogue, and more, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other publications.
Julia Bartz is the New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat and a practicing therapist. Her fiction writing has appeared in The South Dakota Review, InDigest Magazine, and more.
Beth Nguyen, author of Owner of a Lonely HeartUW-Madison Professor of English and American Book Award winner Beth Nguyen, author of Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, visits Boswell with her new memoir about her relationship with her mother, whom she didn't meet until she was twenty - their lives split by the Vietnam War, which left her mother in Saigon while Nguyen and her father became Vietnamese refugees in America.
Please click here to visit bethnguyenmke.eventbrite.com and register now for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Owner of a Lonely Heart as well.
At the end of the Vietnam War, when Beth Nguyen was eight months old, she and her father, sister, grandmother, and uncles fled Saigon for America. But her mother stayed - or was left - behind, and they did not meet again until Beth was nineteen. Owner of a Lonely Heart is the story of Beth’s relationship with her mother. Framed by a handful of visits over the course of many years—sometimes brief, sometimes interrupted, sometimes with her mother alone and sometimes with her sister - Nguyen tells a coming-of-age story that spans her own Midwestern childhood, her first meeting with her mother, and becoming a parent herself. Vivid and illuminating, Nguyen’s memoir is a deeply personal story of family, connection, and belonging.
Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy, says: "The premise here is so compelling, but the execution is otherworldly… This book, and the making of lives it explores, is what memoir writing in the hands of a caring, curious wunderkind can be." And from Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders: "This will nourish, rend, and tend your heart."
Beth Nguyen, who has written under the name Bich Minh Nguyen, is author of the memoir Stealing Buddha’s Dinner and the novels Short Girls and Pioneer Girl. Her awards and honors include an American Book Award and a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center. Nguyen’s work has also appeared in The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Best American Essays.
Jarrett Adams, author of Redeeming Justice: From Defendant to Defender, My Fight for Equity on Both Sides of a Broken SystemAuthor, attorney, and cofounder of Life After Justice Jarrett Adams appears at Boswell for an evening featuring his book Redeeming Justice, a memoir that John Grisham calls "nothing less than heroic." Cohosted by Wisconsin State Public Defenders.
Please click here to visit jarrettadamsmke.eventbrite.com and register to attend this event. And be sure to order your copy of Redeeming Justice now as well.
Adams was seventeen when an all-white jury sentenced him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now a pioneering lawyer, his memoir recounts the journey that led to his exoneration and inspired him to devote his life to fighting the many injustices in our legal system. In this illuminating story of hope and full-circle redemption, Adams draws on his life and the cases of his clients to show the racist tactics used to convict young men of color, the unique challenges facing exonerees once released, and how the lack of equal representation in our courts is a failure not only of empathy but of our collective ability to uncover the truth. An unforgettable firsthand account of the limits and possibilities of our country’s system of law.
From The Washington Post: "His observations of lawyers helped usher him into a career as one, just as his experience of wrongful accusation spurred his interest in exonerating the innocent… The intimacy of Adams’s writing illustrates the inherent violence of our carceral system in a way that would be impossible without his firsthand experience - and without his willingness to share it."
Jarrett Adams earned his JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. After working for the Innocence Project in New York, he launched the Law Office of Jarrett Adams and practices in both federal and state courts throughout the country. Adams is also the co-founder of Life After Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and building an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees.
Reed Farrel Coleman, author of Sleepless City: A Nick Ryan NovelJoin us for a Thrillwaukee evening featuring Reed Farrel Coleman, author of many novels, including six entries in the bestselling Robert B Parker Jesse Stone series. NPR’s Maureen Corrigan calls him a "hard-boiled poet." He visits to chat about the first book in his new Nick Ryan series with Milwaukee’s Nick Petrie, author of the Peter Ash thrillers.
Please click here to visit reedfarrelcolemanmke.eventbrite.com and register to attend this event. And be sure to order your copy of Sleepless City now as well.
When people get in trouble, they call 911. When cops are in trouble, they call Nick Ryan. He doesn’t wear a uniform, but he is the most powerful cop in New York. Nick Ryan can find a criminal who’s vanished. Or he can make a key witness disappear. With conflicted loyalties and a divided soul, he’s a veteran cop still fighting his own private war. He’s a soldier of the streets with his own personal code. But what happens when the man who knows all the city’s secrets becomes a threat to both sides of the law?
From Boswellian Chris Lee: "Sleepless City in a nutshell? Imagine Jason Bourne joins the cast of NYPD Blue." And from Lee Child: "What’s one cop gonna do against a rigged system? Sleepless City answers that question in a blaze of pace, action, suspense, and intrigue, all underpinned by thoughtful moral questions and a truly great new character in Nick Ryan. Coleman is a noir grandmaster and I hope this series runs forever."
Reed Farrel Coleman is author of the New York Times-bestselling novel Blind Spot, among several Robert B Parker novels, as well as nine books in the critically acclaimed Moe Prager series. He is a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best Detective Novel of the Year, a winner of the Barry and Anthony Awards, and is a three-time Edgar Award nominee. Nick Petrie is author of the Peter Ash thrillers, including titles such as The Drifter, The Breaker, and The Runaway.
Adam Levin, author of Kodachrome MilwaukeeBoswell is happy to welcome Adam Levin, curator of the popular Old Milwaukee Facebook group, back to the store for an evening featuring his new book, Kodachrome Milwaukee, which explores long-lost images and scenes of our city.
Please click right here now to visit adamlevinmke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Kodachrome Milwaukee now, too.
Introduced by Kodak in 1935, Kodachrome quickly became popular with professional and amateur photographers in the years after World War II. Countless Kodachrome slides now lie neglected and discarded in attics and basements like tiny time capsules just waiting to be rediscovered. With more than 140 full-color photos from his own collection, Levin leads a stroll down memory lane into the Milwaukee of yesteryear. This includes never-before-seen photos of downtown, Mayfair Mall's Ice Chalet, Brady Street, the Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee County Stadium, and more.
Adam Levin is author of Fading Ads of Milwaukee, a collection of the city’s ghost signs. As curator of the "Old Milwaukee" Facebook group, Levin provides Milwaukeeans with photos and tidbits of the Cream City's rich heritage.
Jimmy Juliano, author of Dead ElevenBoswell hosts Midwestern author Jimmy Juliano for an evening featuring Dead Eleven, his debut horror novel set on a creepy (fictional? maybe!) island off the coast of Door County where a woman who’s searching for the truth about her son’s death finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into a bizarre, insular island community.
Please click here to visit jimmyjulianomke.eventbrite.com and register for this event now. And be sure to order your copy of Dead Eleven now, too!
Juliano’s debut novel is a little like Stranger Things meets The X-Files. "Clifford Island." When Willow Stone finds these words on the floor of her deceased son’s bedroom, she’s perplexed. Soon, though, she sets off for tiny island off of Wisconsin’s Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow’s home. After a few days on Clifford, Willow realizes the place is not normal. Everyone seems to be stuck in a particular day in 1994: they wear outdated clothing, avoid modern technology, and watch the OJ Simpson car chase every evening. When she asks questions, people are evasive, but she learns one thing: close your curtains at night. As the truth is revealed, so is the fact that this island is far more sinister than anyone can imagine.
Frightmaster R.L. Stine calls Juliano’s novel "Very creepy. Dreadfully creepy. Chillingly creepy. Horrifically creepy. You've been warned." And from the Booklist review: "A creepy, fast-paced blast from the past… Juliano comes as a new voice in horror, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Grady Hendrix, and Paul Tremblay."
Jimmy Juliano is a writer and educator. Several of his stories have gone viral on the Reddit 'NoSleep' forum, and Dead Eleven is already in development at A+E Studios.
M Evelina Galang, author of When the Hibiscus FallsBoswell hosts an evening featuring M Evelina Galang, author of When the Hibiscus Falls, a story collection that traverses borderlines, mythic and real, in the lives of Filipino and Filipino American women and their ancestors - One of Oprah Daily’s ‘Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2023.’ In conversation with Joy Bach.
Please click here to visit mevelinagalangmke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of When the Hibiscus Falls now, too!
Moving from small Philippine villages of the past to the hurricane-beaten coast of near-future Florida, Galang’s stories examine the triumphs and sorrows that connect generations of women. Featuring figures familiar from M. Evelina Galang’s other acclaimed and richly imagined novels and stories, When the Hibiscus Falls dwells within the complexity of family, community, and Filipino American identity. Each story is an offering, a bloom that unfurls its petals and holds space in the sun.
From the starred Publishers Weekly review: "Galang’s masterly latest takes on xenophobia, racism, and other ills via stories of strong Filipino women… What makes these stories so powerful and poignant are the inner lives of the characters, a complex blend of nostalgia, desire for assimilation, and defiance. This is a winner." And how about this praise from Lorrie Moore: "M Evelina Galang’s stories are pioneering, lyrical, and full of life. She is interested in the diaphanous curtains among past, present, and future, and narrates with great vocal daring. This is a wonderful and important collection."
M Evelina Galang is the author of the novels One Tribe and Angel De La Luna and the Fifth Glorious Mystery as well as Lola’s House: Filipino Women Living with War. Galang served as Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Miami and served as Board President of Voices of Our Nations Arts.
Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Canary GirlsWauwatosa Public Library and Boswell Book Company present a special evening with beloved Wisconsin author Jennifer Chiaverini, whose novels include titles such as Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and the Elm Creek Quilts series. Chiaverini visits with her latest novel, Canary Girls, a book that’s Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own.
Click here to visit jenniferchiaveriniwpl.eventbrite.com and register for the event! You can order a copy of Canary Girls now.
Chiaverini’s latest is a lively and illuminating novel about the "munitionettes" who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I. These women risked their lives for the war effort and at the same time, discovered camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch. Thousands of women - cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives - worked grueling shifts, handling TNT and other explosives with little protective gear. The football pitch was the one place where class distinctions and fears for their men fall away. As the war ground on and tragedy took its toll, the Canary Girls persisted despite the dangers, proud to serve and determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including acclaimed historical fiction such as Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters and Switchboard Soldiers, as well as the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives in Madison.
Carlene O’Connor, author of Murder at an Irish Bakery and No Strangers HereBoswell welcomes queen of the cozy police procedural Carlene O’Connor for an afternoon event for not one but two books: Murder at an Irish Bakery and No Strangers Here. Cosponsored by the Milwaukee Irish Fest.
Registration is required to attend, so click here to visit carleneoconnormke.eventbrite.com and reserve your space now. And be sure to preorder your copy of Murder at an Irish Bakery and No Strangers Here now, too.
Murder in an Irish Bakery returns to County Cork in Ireland’s lush countryside, where locals are simmering with excitement over the reality TV baking contest coming to town —until day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie. The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated—permanently?
In No Strangers Here, on a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of wealthy racehorse owner Johnny O’Reilly is propped on a boulder, staring sightlessly out to sea. A cryptic message is spelled out next to the body with sixty-nine polished black stones and a discarded vial of deadly veterinarian medication lies nearby. For veterinarian Dimpna Wilde, home means family drama and personal complications. Faced with a triple bombshell—her mother rumored to be in a relationship with Johnny, her father’s dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls—Dimpna moves back to clear her family of suspicion.
From the Publishers Weekly starred review of Murder at an Irish Bakery: “Distinctive, captivating characters match a gripping plot full of surprises. O’Connor reinforces her place among the top rank of cozy writers.” And from the starred Kirkus review of No Strangers Here: "Exciting, convoluted, and rich with compelling characters, this is the best of O’Connor’s Irish mysteries to date."
Carlene O’Connor is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and the author of the acclaimed Irish Village Mysteries, the County Kerry Novels, and the Home to Ireland Mysteries. Born into a long line of Irish storytellers, her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places she’s wandered across the pond, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork, the setting of her Irish Village Mystery series.
Annelise Ryan, author of A Death in Door CountyBestseller and Wisconsinite Annelise Ryan, author of numerous cozy mysteries, joins us for a conversation about her brand new novel, the first installment of a new series set in Door County in which a bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster. In conversation with Sharon Nagel, half of Juneau Black, author of the Shady Hollow series.
Please click right here to visit wfblibrary.org/our_events/?eid=1517 register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of A Death in Door County as well.
Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids - creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant, unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the strait known as Death’s Door to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake - but if they’re not careful, she just might be its next victim.
From the starred Library Journal review: "Full of fascinating history and lore, as well as the underwater geography of these fearsome waterways, this new mystery from Mattie Winston series author Ryan is a tour de force featuring a plucky and imminently likable sleuth. A deliciously clever and entertaining puzzle, highly recommended."
Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple mystery series, including the Mattie Winston Mysteries. A retired ER nurse, she now writes full-time from her Wisconsin home.
Julie Schumacher, author of The English ExperienceBoswell welcomes Julie Schumacher for an evening featuring The English Experience, her new novel featuring English Professor Jason Fitger, the beleaguered protagonist of her beloved novel Dear Committee Members. This hilarious new novel tags along with the Professor Fitger as he chaperones eleven undergrads to London and beyond.
Please click here to visit julieschumachermke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of The English Experience now as well.
Jason Fitger may be the last faculty member the dean wants for the job, but he’s the only professor available to chaperone Payne University’s annual 'Experience: Abroad.' Among Fitger’s charges are a claustrophobe with a juvenile detention record, a student who erroneously believes he is headed for the Caribbean, a pair of unreconciled lovers, a set of undifferentiated twins, and one young woman who has never been away from her cat before. Through a sea of troubles, the gimlet-eyed, acid-tongued Fitger strives to navigate safe passage for all concerned, revealing much about the essential need for human connection and the sometimes surprising places in which it is found.
Schumacher’s latest book is catnip for armchair travelers. Ann Patchett says: "The English Experience can be read as a very clever farce about shepherding clueless American students through their study abroad program, or as an careful dissection of the education system itself, depending on whether or not the reader has ever taught at a small liberal arts college. Either way, Julie Schumacher packs us in the suitcase and takes us along for the hilarious, harrowing ride."
Julie Schumacher is author of The Body Is Water, a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist, as well as Dear Committee Members, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor; she is the first woman to have been so honored. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and Cornell University’s MFA program, and she teaches creative writing at the University of Minnesota.
Louise Hare, author of Harlem After MidnightHistorical mystery writer Louise Hare joins us from across the pond for a virtual afternoon event featuring Harlem After Midnight, an evocative, twisting new novel from the author of Miss Aldridge Regrets. In conversation with Boswellian Rachel Copeland.
Click here to register now for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of Harlem After Midnight as well.
Harlem, 1936: Lena Aldridge grew up in a cramped corner of London, hearing stories of New York City from her father. But now her father is dead, and she’s newly arrived and alone, chasing a dream that has quickly dried up. When Will Goodman—the handsome musician she met on the crossing from England—offers for her to stay with his friends in Harlem, she jumps at the chance to get to know him better and see if she can find any trace of the family she might have remaining. Just as Lena discovers the stories her father once told her were missing giant pieces of information, she also starts to realize the man she’s falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And they might just place a target on her back. Especially when she is drawn to the brightest stage in town.
Rachel loves the first book in the series, Miss Aldridge Regrets: "There's nothing better than a deftly plotted historical mystery - I really was guessing the whole time! But the real star here is Hare's smooth navigation through the issues surrounding Lena's parentage, her ability to pass as white amongst society's upper echelons, and her discomfort with the idea of leaving her father's people, and her people, behind in favor of an easier life. I can't wait to eagerly follow this new mystery series for years." There's plenty of time to catch up on this series - order the hardcover of Miss Aldridge Regrets here, or order the paperback here!
Louise Hare is the London-based author of Miss Aldridge Regrets. Her debut novel, This Lovely City, was published in the UK to wide acclaim, and was a Between the Covers Book Club Pick on BBC Two. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of London.
Meg Kissinger, author of While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of SilenceMilwaukee journalist and Pulitzer finalist Meg Kissinger appears at Milwaukee Public Library’s Centennial Hall Loos Room for the launch of her searing new memoir, While You Were Out, which tells the story of a family besieged by mental illness and offers an as an incisive exploration of the systems that failed them and a testament to the love that sustained them.
Registration link coming soon. Be sure to order your copy of While You Were Out now.
Growing up in the 1960s in Chicago suburbs, Kissinger’s family seemed to have a charmed life on the shores of Lake Michigan. Eight kids, two loving parents, the Kissingers always knew how to live large and play hard. But behind closed doors were a heavily-medicated mother hospitalized for anxiety and depression, a manic father prone to violence, and children in the throes of bipolar disorder and depression, two of whom would take their own lives. Combining the intimacy of memoir with the rigor of investigative reporting, Kissinger chronicles her personal story of family struggle and tragedy which catalyzed a career of journalism focused on exposing our country’s flawed approach to mental health care.
From Hidden Valley Road author Robert Kolker: "Meg Kissinger is a world-class reporter and a rip-roaring storyteller. Her heartfelt, eviscerating, deeply introspective investigation of long-held family secrets will leave you quaking with rage about our broken mental health system-and grateful that writers like her are on the case."
Milwaukeean Meg Kissinger spent more than two reporting on America’s mental health system for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A Pulitzer finalist, she has won two George Polk Awards, the Robert F. Kennedy Award, and two National Journalism Awards. Kissinger teaches investigative reporting at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a visiting professor at DePauw University, her alma mater.
Jennifer Ackerman, author of What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic BirdsBoswell joins forces with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center to present a virtual afternoon with Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, for a conversation about her latest. What an Owl Knows is a brilliant scientific exploration of owls, the most elusive group of birds, and an investigation into why these remarkable and yet mysterious animals exert such a hold on human imagination. In conversation with Lindsay Obermeier, Schlitz’s Raptor Program & Animal Ambassador Director.
Please click right here to register for this virtual event. And be sure to order your copy of What an Owl Knows now as well.
For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls? Ackerman illuminates the rich biology and natural history of these birds and reveals remarkable new scientific discoveries about their brains and behavior. Incorporating her own personal field observations about owls and dives deep into why these birds beguile us, Ackerman offers an awe-inspiring exploration of owls across the globe and through human history, and a spellbinding account of their astonishing hunting skills, communication, and sensory prowess.
Ackerman’s book has earned a trio of starred reviews. From Publishers Weekly: "Masterful… Bird lovers will be enthralled." And from Booklist: "Ackerman's latest vivid and compelling narrative is enlivened by her own passion for owls and her excitement over discoveries in the wild that show that, for humans, owls continue to be full of surprises… Captivating."
Jennifer Ackerman his author of The Bird Way, a finalist for the PEN/EO Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, The Genius of Birds, and Birds by the Shore. Ackerman’s articles and essays have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.
John Tolan, author of England's Jews: Finance, Violence, and the Crown in the Thirteenth CenturyUWM’s Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies presents an evening featuring Historian John Tolan and his new book, England’s Jews, which offers an in-depth examination of Jewish participation, anti-Jewish sentiment, and political unrest in English society during the late Medieval period. Cosponsored by Boswell.
Registration link coming soon. You can order your copy of England’s Jews now. Boswell will also be on hand at the event with copies for sale.
In 1290, Jews were expelled from England and largely expunged from English historical memory. Yet for two centuries they occupied important roles in medieval English society. Tolan’s book revisits this neglected chapter of English history, one whose remembrance is more important than ever today, as antisemitism and other forms of racism are on the rise.
British Historian R I Moore praises Tolan’s book thusly: "This splendid book offers an engrossing and profoundly learned account of the place of Jews in English society. Its cogent and subtle exploration of the interplay between creative social dynamics and the destructiveness of predatory government have relevance far beyond its thirteenth-century setting."
John Tolan is author of Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today. He is Professor of History at the University of Nantes and a member of the Academia Europæa.
William Kent Krueger, author of The River We RememberBoswell Book Company and Books & Company of Oconomowoc present a special evening with William Kent Krueger, the Edgar Award-winning author of novels such as Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. This evening will feature Krueger’s brand new stand-alone novel, The River We Remember.
Tickets for this event cost $35 each, plus a small fee per each order - if you're ordering multiple tickets, order them all at once to save. Each ticket includes admission, taxes, and a copy of The River We Remember. Click here to visit ticketing.wilson-center.com/krueger and purchase your tickets for this event now.
Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of midcentury American life, The River We Remember is an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.
On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to honor the sacrifice of so many sons in wars past, the half-clothed body of a wealthy landowner is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.
William Kent Krueger is author of nineteen acclaimed books in the Cork O’Connor mystery series, including Lightning Strike and Fox Creek, as well as beloved stand alone novels This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace.
David K Seitz, author of A Different Trek: Radical Geographies of Deep Space NineTrekkies unite at Boswell for an evening with scholar David K Seitz who chats about his new book, A Different Trek, the first scholarly monograph dedicated to a critical interpretation of DS9’s allegorical world-building, which draws upon on cultural geography, Black studies, and feminist and queer studies.
Click here and register for this event, please. And be sure to order your copy of A Different Trek now, too.
In 1993, Deep Space Nine debuted with a crew led by a reluctant Black American commander and an extraterrestrial first officer who had until recently been an anticolonial revolutionary. DS9 extended Star Trek’s tradition of critical social commentary but did so by transgressing many of Star Trek’s previous taboos, including religion, money, eugenics, and interpersonal conflict. Thirty years later, DS9 is beloved by critics and fans but remains marginalized in scholarly studies of science fiction. Seitz argues that its prophetic, place-based critiques of 1990s U.S. politics, which deepened the foundations of many of our current crises, have been vindicated politically, to a degree most scholars and even many fans have yet to fully appreciate.
From andré m. carrington, author of Speculative Blackness: "Seitz reopens this chapter in popular culture to remind us that staying in place - especially on a planet like ours, with its bloodstained maps and shifting tides of power - affords us every possibility to confront legacies of injustice and imagine radical futures."
David K Seitz is author of A House of Prayer for All People: Contesting Citizenship in a Queer Church. He is also Assistant Professor of Cultural Geography at Harvey Mudd College.
Marsha Gordon, author of Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula ParrottBoswell hosts an evening with author and director Marsha Gordon, who joins us for a presentation about her new book, Becoming the Ex-Wife, a riveting biography of best-selling author, Hollywood screenwriter, and voice for the modern woman Ursula Parrott. Cohosted by the UWM Film Studies Program.
Please click here to visit marshagordonmke.eventbrite.com and register for this event. And be sure to order your copy of Becoming the Ex-Wife now as well.
Credited with popularizing the label "ex-wife" in 1929, Ursula Parrott wrote provocatively about divorcées, career women, single mothers, work-life balance, and a host of new challenges facing modern women. Although she was frequently dismissed as a "woman's writer," reading Parrott's writing today makes it clear that she was a trenchant philosopher of modernity. Her best sellers, Hollywood film deals, marriages and divorces, and run-ins with the law made her a household name. Part biography, part cultural history, Becoming the Ex-Wife establishes Parrott's rightful place in twentieth-century American culture, and Marsha Gordon tells a timely story about the life of a woman on the front lines of a culture war that is still raging today.
From The New Yorker: "Gordon makes an excellent case for Parrott as an unjustly forgotten historical figure: a sociological flash point, a beneficiary of feminism and victim of patriarchy who got her enemies mixed up."
Marsha Gordon is Professor of Film Studies at North Carolina State University, a former Fellow at the National Humanities Center, and the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar award.
Please visit our Boswell-Run Book Club page for an updated schedule of our book club discussions.
Please remember that while we try to update this page as frequently as possible, all events are subject to change. If you have any concerns, please contact Boswell. Also note that ticketed events do sell out, and all events are subject to capacity. It never hurts to arrive early.
