Two authors return for library appearances

Author Ellen Baker’s first novel, “Keeping the House,” was a popular success and quickly became a favorite among book groups in the Upper Midwest. The book, published in 2007 by Random House, was compared to the work of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg. Her second novel, “I Gave My Heart to Know This,” published last year, has received comparable praise.

Baker, a native of Superior, has stayed close to home in the settings of her novels. “I Gave My Heart to Know This” is set in Superior’s shipyards during World War II. The story concerns the lives of three women who work as welders during the war and traces the lives of their descendants half a century later. Baker immersed herself in historical research in writing both her novels. She learned about women welders while serving as curator for the Richard I. Bong Heritage Center in Superior and later discovered the memoir of one of the women at the Douglas County Historical Society. Although shipbuilding work was hard and the conditions unglamorous, the women gained pride in their self-sufficiency – something many of them lost once the war ended and men returned home to their lives and jobs.

Baker, who is currently living on the East coast, will return to the area for a few days. She will teach a writing workshop at the University of Wisconsin Superior and will talk about writing “I Gave My Heart to Know This” at the Cloquet Public Library on Monday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Another author with a Twin Ports connection who will return to the area next week is Joe Kimball, former reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Kimball was a young Twin Cities reporter who happened to be in Duluth the day of the Congdon murders, and he was quickly assigned to cover the story. His reporting throughout the subsequent trials made him a familiar name throughout the state. His reportage included interviewing Roger Caldwell, who was convicted of the murders. Kimball followed up his newspaper articles with an original paperback book, “Secrets of the Congdon Mansion,” in which he laid out the event the night of the murders and provided diagrams showing the layout of the mansion. The book has remained a popular seller in the Duluth area ever since. Kimball will appear at Cloquet Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 10:30 a.m. to share his insights into the case.

Both writers will sign copies of their books, which will be available for purchase at the respective author appearances.

~ Press Release

Tags: cloquet, entertainment, education