ABOUT
THE BOOK

In Kind of Kin by award-winning author Rilla Askew, when a church-going, community-loved, family man is caught hiding a barn-full of illegal immigrant workers, he is arrested and sent to prison. This shocking development sends ripples through the town-dividing neighbors, causing rifts amongst his family, and spurring controversy across the state.

Using new laws in Oklahoma and Alabama as inspiration, Kind of Kin is a story of self-serving lawmakers and complicated lawbreakers, Christian principle and political scapegoating.

Rilla Askew’s funny and poignant novel explores what happens when upstanding people are pushed too far-and how an ad-hoc family, and ultimately, an entire town, will unite to protect its own.

(from publisher)

About the Author

Rilla Askew received a 2009 Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She is the author of four novels, and has been nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Dublin IMPAC Prize, and is a three-time recipient of the Oklahoma Book Award.

Librarian’s Comments

Immigration remains a controversial topic in American society. Many states, including Oklamhoa, have enacted laws dealing with illegal immigration. In Kind of Kin, Rilla Askew provides a very poignant exploration of the issue. At times using comic relief, she describes for the reader the personal ramifications associated with these state immigration laws as well as the ripple effect they on society.