To the delight of many, William Kent Krueger is returning to Ponca to discuss his life as an author. Hosted by Ponca State Park and Friends of the Ponca Carnegie Library, Krueger will speak at the Ponca State Park’s Resource and Education Center on Thursday, July 27 at 6:00 pm. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy conversation and a potluck meal hosted by Friends of the Library at the conclusion of William Kent Krueger’s presentation.

Krueger is no stranger to Nebraska readers. His book tours cover the country, but Ponca holds a special place in his life. Krueger explains, “Although I don’t have roots in Ponca myself, my brother married a Ponca girl, Linda Armstrong, and it’s this connection that keeps me coming back. But I have to confess that over the years, I’ve come to love Ponca and especially the stunning state park there. And that’s another reason I keep coming back.” Krueger has planned an informative and entertaining evening, stating, “This time around, I’ll be talking about my journey as a storyteller, the long road that led to me becoming a New York Times bestselling author. I have a new novel releasing this fall—The River We Remember—and I’ll be reading just a bit from it.”

Krueger is known for his mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe.

His work has received many 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 ten 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 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.

The public is invited to this free event. For more information, contact the Ponca Carnegie Library, 402.755.2739.