Dennis Garcia returns to Kansas for Book Festival panel on Las Madres

Award-winning author Dennis Garcia will appear at the Kansas Book Festival in Topeka on Sept. 26 to discuss the family history behind Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success. The book has earned statewide and international recognition for its focus on Latina resilience, family history and inspiration.

Why it matters: - Las Madres centers on three generations of women whose lives reflect the role of family history in understanding migration, labor, faith and education in the Midwest. - The book adds to the record of Mexican American and Latina experiences tied to Kansas and railroad families across the region. - Garcia’s festival appearance gives readers direct access to the research process behind the book and the broader value of preserving family stories.

What happened: - Dennis Garcia will return to Kansas on Sept. 26 for the 15th Annual Kansas Book Festival at Washburn University in Topeka. - Garcia will join the 2 p.m. Family Research and Remembrance panel in Room 120 at Washburn Library. - Garcia will also meet readers and sign copies throughout the festival. - Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success is based on a true story of three generations of women who overcame poverty, racism and hardship.

The details: - The book follows an extended family built through culture, hard work, faith and education. - The story moves from the Mexican Revolution to the experiences of Mexican American railroad families across the Midwest. - Las Madres was named a 2025 Kansas Notable Book by the State Library of Kansas. - The book won three International Latino Book Awards: the Dolores Huerta Gold Medal for Best Culture & Community Themed Book, the Mimi Lozano Gold Medal for Best Family History Book and a Bronze Medal for Most Inspirational Nonfiction Book. - Garcia said returning to Kansas is especially meaningful because much of his family’s history is rooted there. - Garcia said the book grew out of family memories, conversations, photographs and records. - Garcia said he hopes to share the process and explain why preserving family history matters. - Book details list the title as Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success. - The author is listed as Dennis R. Garcia. - The book is available in ebook, paperback and hardback formats. - The ISBN-13 is 9780700637980. - Copies are available through University Press of Kansas and other online bookstores.

Between the lines: - The festival appearance serves as both a book event and a discussion of how personal archives can become public history. - Garcia’s awards and Kansas recognition suggest the book has resonated beyond a single family story. - The emphasis on women’s experience, rather than a broader family genealogy alone, gives the book a stronger cultural and historical frame.

What's next: - Garcia is available for interviews and speaking engagements. - He is also promoting tour dates tied to the book. - Readers can expect more attention around Las Madres as festival season continues and Garcia connects the book to family-history audiences.

The bottom line: - Dennis Garcia is using the Kansas Book Festival to spotlight a family story that has become a recognized work of Latino history, memory and perseverance.