St. Louis Authors

It was supposed to be a nine-week vacation. It turned into a nightmare. Sam Goodwin details the story of his captivity in his new book, “Saving Sam: The True Story of an American’s Disappearance in Syria and His Family’s Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home.”

“Lucky” tells the story of a folk musician who grows up in St. louis’ rich music scene in the 1960s.

Sam Goodwin’s forthcoming book shares the ways coincidence and connections led to his release from Syrian prisons.

Jennifer Alexander of St. Louis County Library and Ted Reidy of St. Louis Public Library share their favorite books released in 2023.

A new book presents readers of all ages with a colorful curation of Missouri’s weird and wonderful places, people and historical facts.

Marian O'Shea Wernicke’s new novel is out this week.

In "The Last Children of Mill Creek," Vivian Gibson describes the lives of herself, her parents and siblings in their Mill Creek home in the 1950s. The predominantly Black neighborhood, which encompassed parts of midtown and downtown St. Louis, was demolished in 1959 as part of an urban renewal campaign. The Missouri Library Association has named Gibson author of the year.

Thirty years ago this summer, an act of random violence stole William Johnson’s eyesight, and the lives of two of his colleagues, during a business trip to Atlanta. Johnson describes what happened — and how he adapted to his new reality after his return home to St. Louis — in his new memoir.

As a 9-year-old, John O’Leary nearly died. He was playing in his garage in St. Louis when he accidentally set off an explosion. He was left with…

In 1959, the city of St. Louis demolished more than 5,500 housing units in the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood, which stretched from St. Louis University…