Carbondale native Kimberly France started with researching her family history and the project grew to include a wealth of Southern Illinois history, resulting in her book, Black Settlements in Southern Illinois. She’ll have a public reading and book signing on Thursday, October 24, at 6 pm, to read some excerpts and respond to questions and comments. The public is invited to sit in at Confluence Books, 705 West Main Street in Carbondale. Parking is available off of Forest Street. France wrote “Africa in Egypt: The History of Locust Grove Illinois” to detail the black settlement where her grandmother was raised. As her research continued, the scope expanded. Black Settlements in Southern Illinois covers 16 counties in Southern Illinois, and is part of the History Press’s American Heritage Series.

Copies of Black Settlements in Southern Illinois will be available at the bookstore; they are also available at Thriftbooks.com and an e-edition (as well as paperback) is available from Barnes & Noble. Confluence Books hosts local authors so that community members can learn about new books and get to know our authors. For more information about Confluence Books or the book signing, contact confluencebooks@gmail.com or 618-525-3075. 

Author bio: Kimberly France was born and raised in Carbondale, Illinois. She began researching her family lineage in earnest in 2020 upon learning of a relative’s terminal illness. After 3 years of research and revelation, she penned the book Black Settlements in Southern Illinois to document critical pieces of Illinois history that are not well known. Ms. France is an alumnus of Howard University and Southern Illinois University- Carbondale.