Oh My Goodness!

The Clean Daughter has been chosen by the Library of Congress as a 2024 Great Reads Book! The Library of Congress!!! !

I love the Library of Congress. It is the largest library in the world with millions of books, films, photographs, newspapers, and manuscripts in its collections.

The Library of Congress has to be one of the most beautiful buildings in America and holds the largest rare-book collection in North America. Their collection includes the first book printed in what is now the United States, “The Bay Psalm Book” (1640).

If you want to geek out on books, here are two fun facts for you.

• The smallest book in the Library of Congress is “Old King Cole.” It is 1/25” x 1/25”, or about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

• The Gutenberg Bible, one of the treasures of the Library of Congress, was purchased in 1930. The 15th-century work is one of three perfect copies on vellum in the world.

Really, if you are a book lover, you ought to go to The Library of Congress at least once in your lifetime.

To have one of my books selected by The Library of Congress as a Great Read, I just can’t tell you how delighted I am, how surprised, how sweet this news is to me.

Every year a branch of the Library of Congress called The Center for the Book chooses ‘Great Reads’ titles. One adult book is chosen for each state and Territory. One! And they chose mine.

Great Reads are a part of the National Book Festival. The National Book Festival!!

“The titles named are as diverse as the states and territories that choose them,” said Guy Lamolinara, head of the Center for the Book Affiliates Program. The chosen books, subjects, and or authors have connections to the state in some way.

I’ve been invited to attend The 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.!

The National Book Festival, sponsored and organized by the Library of Congress, is an annual literary festival held in Washington, D.C. The festival was founded by Laura Bush and James H. Billington in 2001.

The festival brings in thousands of readers and book fans to meet bestselling authors for book signings, readings, all sorts of fun activities and discussions. Clifford the Red Dog has been known to attend and greet children!

The Clean Daughter will be on sale in the National Book Festival Bookstore!

It’s really difficult not to use 1,000 exclamation points as I write!

Believe me, I am showing much restraint!

The North Dakota Center for the Book – the affiliate arm of the Library of Congress that chooses each year’s Great Reads – is located in Bismarck at the North Dakota State Library and headed up by Lexi Whitehorn.

• The Center for the Book will organize a book tour for me around North Dakota in the coming year. I will be speaking and doing readings, primarily in libraries and in schools.

• I might get a cool sticker to put on my book jacket – that is still in the works. Fingers crossed. I love book award stickers!

• The North Dakota Center for the Book in Bismarck will be spending the next year promoting The Clean Daughter as part of their programing.

Alongside the adult book pick, the Center for the Book also chooses one kids book each year. The 2024 Great Reads North Dakota book for Kids is a young adult book titled Spiral written by Lindsey Undlin. A great big congratulations to Lindsey! It’s so lovely to see a young author starting her writing journey!

Having the Library of Congress choose The Clean Daughter and the exposure it gives my book is a real gift. I spent five years writing it, so, yes, I am loving the attention that The Clean Daughter will be getting in the coming year.

It all feels a bit magical and unbelievable. If you are having a hard time believing this, like I am, here’s the link to click on which verifies the news with these words,

“The 2024 Great Reads for Adults are:

• North Dakota: Jill Kandel, The Clean Daughter: A Cross-Continental Memoir”

Wonderful things happen. Unexpected things. And I am astonished.

I hope this bright spot of news in my life brings a little joy into your life, too.

As always, thank you for reading!