Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglas, Publisher

This older sister of a good friend of mine from Montevideo this year wrote a very well-written and powerful account of trauma and parental love.”

The book is called House of Kahmanns A Memoir.

The author, P.G. Kahmann,  was in Glenwood a few months ago to promote the book at a the Glenwood Book Club.  Her brother Andy Kahmann, is a good friend and colleague of mine.  He owns and operates A to Z Letterpress Printing in Montevideo and was instrumental in getting his sister’s book published.  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 if you haven’t visited the small shop on Main Street of Montevideo, it is worth the trip to meet Andy Kahmann and witness his expertise in the art of letterpress printing.

Andy has an extensive background in printing and is expert in the art of printing on an antique letterpress.  That skill was something every small town newspaper had in the days before offset printing took hold in the 1970s.  But Andy was also an offset printer for many years, managing Western Printers in Monte, that printed dozens of community newspapers each week.  From there he was hired by Forum Publications and managed the press at the West Central Tribune.  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. As I said, Andy lives in Montevideo where he is known for his A to Z Letterpress Printing shop, keeping the art of letterpress alive.

But back to the book.

House of Kahmanns is the heartrending story of the Kahmann family’s 12 siblings mistakenly sent to separate foster homes after their parents’ car accident. It 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 a love letter to Kahmann’s parents.”

House of Kahmanns was published in the summer of 2023. The first print run sold out in six weeks.

Although I knew Andy came from a big family and he told me of his parents car accident that left his siblings spread out and separated, I found out by reading the book that I really knew nothing about the trauma and family connections of the resilient Kahmann family.  The book is a wonderful read and it shed a lot of light on my friend, Andy, and his siblings and his wonderful parents.

You can reserve a copy of the book by emailing the author, PGKahmann@gmail.com or visit Andy at A to Z Printing in Montevideo.