South Dakota Stories Featured at National Book Festival
July 18, 2025
The South DakotaCenter for the Book at the South Dakota Humanities Council has selected one adult title and one youth title to represent the state at the 25th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, Sept. 6 in Washington, D.C.
This year’s “Great Reads from Great Places” selections are, for adults, The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren and, for youth, Dreams Take Flight: The Story of Deaf Pilot Nellie Zabel Willhite by Brittany C. Richman.
Both titles will be featured at the South Dakota booth in the Roadmap to Reading area hosted by the National Center for the Book. This area features authors and books representing the literary heritage of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas.
“We are excited to share these two South Dakota stories with readers of all ages across the nation,” said Jennifer Widman, director of the South Dakota Center for the Book. “The Cost of Free Land will prompt deep reflection on our state’s history and cultures, and Dreams Take Flight will inspire young readers with its theme of overcoming obstacles to meet lofty goals. These books represent South Dakota’s literary heritage beautifully.”
The National Book Festival, focused on the theme of “Uniting Book Lovers for 25 Years,” will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online, with videos made available shortly after the event. Visit the National Book Festival website for details.
Both authors representing South Dakota will appear in person at the 2025 South Dakota Festival of Books in Spearfish, Sept. 26-28.
About South Dakota’s “Great Reads”
FOR ADULTS: The Cost of Free Land, the 2025 One Book South Dakota, melds investigative reporting with personal family history to reveal the intertwined stories of a Jewish immigrant family and the Lakota on whose land they settled. Growing up, author Rebecca Clarren only knew the major plot points of her tenacious immigrant family’s origins. Her great-great-grandparents, the Sinykins, and their six children fled antisemitism in Russia and arrived in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, ultimately settling on a 160-acre homestead in South Dakota and becoming an American success story. What none of Clarren’s ancestors ever mentioned was that their land, the foundation for much of their wealth, had been cruelly and illegally taken from the Lakota by the United States government. Through one family’s experience, this book sheds light on the devastating cycle of loss of Indigenous land, culture, and resources that continues today.
FOR YOUTH: In Dreams Take Flight, an Own Voices, Own Stories Award-winning book, author Brittany C. Richman tells the inspiring story of South Dakota native Nellie Zabel Willhite. After losing her hearing at four and following a tumultuous education, Nellie was introduced to the world of flight while working at the Sioux Falls airport. The planes and pilots captured her imagination as she watched them sail alongside the birds. With some encouragement, she enrolled in pilot training, carefully tailoring the courses to accommodate her deafness. In 1928, Nellie took off on her own, becoming the first female pilot in South Dakota—and the first deaf pilot in the nation.
About the South Dakota Center for the Book
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers promoting reading, libraries, and literacy. Housed in the South Dakota Humanities Council, the South Dakota Center for the Book pursues a mission “to celebrate the written word in South Dakota, extol the rich heritage of the state, and encourage authorship, literacy, and reading.”
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
The National Book Festival Roadmap to Reading, featuring the “Great Reads” selections, is made possible by the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Chief Officers of State Library Agencies.
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