Official website of Deborah Wiles, author of Kent.

In her new novel, Kent State, two-time National Book award finalist Deborah Wiles reckons with the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, through many voices and perspectives. Wiles spoke with PW about her inspiration, the novel’s unique format, why she keeps returning to this era, and what she’s working on now.

For bestselling children's and YA author Deborah Wiles, reading is an act of empathy. Many of her stories are set in the turbulent middle decades of the 20th century United States, exploring the realities of segregation, the Vietnam War, and the long march for civil rights. Her latest novel, Kent State, recounts the May 4, 1970 Kent State University shootings and their surrounding events in a free-verse format.