NORTH MANKATO — This spring’s North Mankato Community Read will take a look at a longer book than previous years with “Will to Murder,” and it’s nonfiction rather than fiction.
The book’s subject matter hits close to home: the 1977 murders of Elisabeth Congdon and Velma Pietila at Glensheen, the stately Duluth manor building along the Lake Superior shore.
In addition to April and May events that include a visit by author John DeSanto and a documentary presentation, plans are for an overnight visit that includes a tour of the mansion, said Katie Heintz, North Mankato library director.
Because there is a second community read planned this year in conjunction with Twin Rivers Council for the Arts, only 250 of the books will be shared from the North Mankato Taylor Library, Heintz said.
“I had driven by it so many times, and it’s this beautiful property right outside of Duluth on massive acres of the North Shore,” said Heintz, who urged other committee members Beth Christensen and Lucy Lowry to select the book despite its length. “I actually purchased this book when we were there. I read it and it was fascinating.”
On June 27, 1977, an intruder entered Glensheen. Before leaving with a basketful of stolen jewelry, the intruder used a satin pillow to smother Congdon and Pietila. DeSanto, the St. Louis County prosecutor of Marjorie and Roger Caldwell, uses his firsthand knowledge to bring readers behind the scenes of Minnesota’s most infamous double murder.
DeSanto’s presentation will be the evening of April 10, with the documentary screening on April 24. Although they haven’t finalized details, Heintz said, the plan is to have a trip to Duluth that includes a stop at the Ship Museum in Duluth, connecting with a previous community read title, “Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Michael Schumacher.
The community read has been taking place for about 15 years, she said, and often selects a shorter piece of fiction. But with the local connection and intriguing story of the Congdon murder, they hope “Will to Murder” will be as popular as last year’s choice, “Born A Crime” by Trevor Noah.
That was fully distributed in two days, so Heintz encourages anyone who is interested to get to the library soon — though they do have a couple of copies on the shelves that can be checked out as well.