Luther College professor to read from his book based in the Driftless Region of Iowa

David Faldet, professor of English at Luther College, was inspired to write "King: A Mystery" after seeing students on campus wearing "What Would Jesus Do?" bracelets in 2009. "King: A Mystery" asks the question, "If a man like Jesus was alive in rural America in 2008, who would most want him dead?"

Faldet will give a reading from the novel on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. in Olin 102 on the Luther College campus. The reading, sponsored by the Luther College English department, is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Imagining the Upper Midwest as the Holy Land, Faldet's first fictional work uncovers the story of a man, like Jesus, in Iowa during a time of catastrophic flooding and deepening financial crisis.

"My biggest hope is that I have crafted a reading experience that makes people wonder what it would have been like to bump into Jesus or into his community just after his death," said Faldet. "I hope readers will enjoy being immersed in this rural world that is at once humble yet so full of promise."

The fifth generation of his family to live in the Driftless Region, Faldet isn't afraid to frame his big picture view of the world through a rural lens. "It is the corner of the world I know best," said Faldet.

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