Two of the books may draw particular local interest. Susan Jonusas takes a new look at the notorious Bender family of serial killers who waylaid travelers at their home northeast of Cherryvale between May 1871 and December 1872. Her book is “Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders,” published by Viking.
Dennis Etzel, a visiting poet at Iola Library’s poetry month celebration this spring, is co-editor with Jericho Hockett of “Kansas Speaks Out: Poems in the Age of Me, Too,” published by An Actual Kansas Press.
“The authors of the 2023 Kansas Notable Books not only help us gain a deeper understanding of our world but also encourage empathy for others and reflection on our own life experiences,” State Librarian Ray C. Walling said in a press release. “Written by Kansans or about Kansas and Kansans, these 15 books explore wanderlust, transformative collaboration, hidden struggles, inspiring resilience, and the power of love.”
Authors will be recognized and awarded medals by the State Librarian at the Kansas Book Festival on September 16 at Washburn University. The Book Festival is a free event that is open to the public. For more information on the event, visit kansasbookfestival.com.
A grant from the State Library helped support the purchase of these books.
Following is the complete list of 2023 Kansas Notable Books:
“Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt” by Kathleen Wilford, Blue Bronco Books
“Easy Beauty: A Memoir” by Chloe Cooper Jones, Simon & Schuster
“Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders” by Susan Jonusas, Viking
“Justa’s Escape: A Journey from WWII Ukraine” by Justina Neufeld with Russell Binkley, Wipf and Stock
“Kansas Speaks Out: Poems in the Age of Me, Too” edited by Dennis Etzel, Jr and Jericho Hockett, An Actual Kansas Press
“Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy” by Randal Maurice Jelks, Lawrence Hill Books
“The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World” by David K. Randall, W. W. Norton & Company
“Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America” by Tom Pecore Weso, Rockridge Press
“A New Guide to Kansas Mushrooms” by Sherry Kay, Benjamin Sikes, and Caleb Morse, University Press of Kansas
