The last several months at Trinity Christian College have been challenging. Small Christian colleges are working to reach students who will benefit from what we offer in the post-Covid higher education world, but that world is dominated by elite universities, large state schools, and online programs. At the same time, the last several weeks have been extremely exciting for me. The first copies of my book, A Prairie Faith: The Religious World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, have been shipped by Eerdmans, the publisher. These include review copies sent to journals and magazines and complimentary copies sent to scholars, blog authors, and historic sites. Amazon has also been shipping to readers. In January I received my author’s copies and was able to give them out to family members, colleagues at Trinity, and friends at my church. I then purchased some additional books from the publisher for future gifts.
Now the official book release date is today! Links to places to buy the book are below and on my homepage. The Trinity Christian College Bookstore has copies and is featuring it on their webpage. (Full disclosure: my wife Paula works at Trinity’s Bookstore.)
What’s next? I’m working to line up opportunities to talk about what’s in the book. I’ve sent a paper proposal to the Midwestern History Conference, which is held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the end of May. It is confirmed that I will be attending Wilder Days at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, at the end of September. On that trip, I will also be speaking at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. I am also hoping to speak at some bookstores and public libraries in the Chicagoland area, and perhaps some of the Wilder historic sites in the Midwest during the summer. I will put up information on this site as dates are finalized.
If you are interested in having me speak at your local bookstore, church, public library, or other community group, please contact me at john.fry@trnty.edu.
Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement over the last eight years!
Links:
Westminster Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum
Where to get the book online:
Trinity Christian College Bookstore
Christianbook.com – Now has additional information about me and the book at the bottom of the page, under “Author/Artist Review”
Amazon – My author’s page at Amazon
Lord-willing, you can also get it at your local bookstore.
The Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder 