The author of House of Kahmanns, the heartrending story of the Kahmann family’s 12 siblings mistakenly sent to separate foster homes after their parents’ car accident, will be at Glenwood Public Library on Monday, June 24.
The book she wrote takes place in rural Minnesota.
The book has been generating media attention and key endorsements. Tom Cherveny of the West Central Tribune interviewed the author in his feature article:
“HOUSE OF KAHMANNS: A Family’s Bonds Torn Apart” Cherveny writes, “While their separation is at the heart of her memoir, it is but a part of a story telling of the many facets of family life – from the humorous to the somber.”
Kirkus Reviews, the coveted New York publishing resource, gives Kahmann’s memoir an excellent rating: “While at times harrowing, this is ultimately a story of the power of family and alove letter to Kahmann’s parents.”
House of Kahmanns was published in the summer of 2023. The first print run sold out in six weeks. Kahmann shares with audiences the journey of writing and publishing this unforgettable memoir, through the help of her brother’s letterpress printing company in Montevideo, Minnesota.
Kahmann has been invited to speak at bookstores, book clubs, art centers, senior centers, and libraries, where she reads excerpts and invites audience participation, answering questions about what she ultimately uncovered in writing the family’s story.
Kahmann will also demonstrate how her brother Andy handset the type for her first chapter as a small one-page booklet on his antique press. Andy creates “Little Books” at his letterpress print shop and will bring copies to share with the audience and show how they too can make their own Little Book.
Author’s Biography
P.G. Kahmann lives in Minneapolis, but has called many places home, including rural Minnesota: Granite Falls, Bird Island, Walnut Grove; Phoenix Arizona; and Sydney, Australia. Born in Kansas City, the second of twelve children, Kahmann and her family moved to a farm in western Minnesota, where the family undoing begins, and where she vows to document it. Kahmann has won short story and filmmaking awards. This is her first book.
Andy Kahmann, the fourth of twelve children, began his printing career as a teenager at the Bird Island Union. As chronicled in his sister’s memoir, two-year-old Andy’s hand was caught in a cement mixer. After a harrowing race to the hospital and prolonged surgery, Andy’s hand was successfully reattached, the first such surgery of its kind. Andy lives in Montevideo where he is known for his A to Z Letterpress Printing shop, keeping the art of letterpress alive.
