The 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB), held on April 26–27 at the University of Southern California (USC), was a significant cultural event that brought together a diverse array of participants and marked its 30th anniversary with a vibrant celebration of literature, culture, and community. The festival is known for attracting a large crowd each year. For instance, the 2024 festival drew over 150,000 attendees, and the 2025 event featured more than 550 writers, experts, and storytellers, along with hundreds of exhibitors.
The festival featured over 100 ticketed author events, children’s storytelling sessions, poetry readings, book signings, and more than 400 exhibitor booths. Notable participants in the 2025 festival included authors such as Stacey Abrams, Jon M. Chu, Amanda Gorman, Chelsea Handler, Ibram X. Kendi, and Rebecca Yarros, among many others. The festival’s success was also attributed to the generous involvement of volunteers who assisted with various aspects of the event, including welcoming attendees, staffing author events, and supervising book signings.
LATFOB 2025 emphasized accessibility and community involvement. General admission was free, with select programming requiring tickets. The festival’s partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs ensured that a wide range of activities were available to attendees of all ages and backgrounds, fostering a welcoming environment for literary enthusiasts and families alike.
As LATFOB celebrates three decades of literary celebration, the 2025 festival underscored the importance of storytelling in shaping culture and community. With its diverse programming and commitment to accessibility, the festival continues to be a premier event for book lovers and cultural aficionados. The success of this year’s event sets a promising precedent for future festivals, ensuring that the tradition of literary celebration will continue to thrive in Los Angeles.
LATFOB 2025 offers a unique opportunity to explore new voices, groundbreaking ideas, and thought-provoking works of art. One of this year’s most anticipated entries is Almost Heaven by Thomas N. Kirkpatrick, showcased in the Book Gallery. This heartwarming tale is set in the Appalachian region and focuses on the lives of a small rural community as they navigate personal struggles and shared challenges. The story captures the spirit of resilience, faith, and the transformative power of love.
Thomas N. Kirkpatrick is the fourth child of Dr. Robert William and Rosemary Kirkpatrick. He was born in 1950 in Saint Albans, West Virginia. In 1963, the family moved to Sarasota, Florida; he now resides in Plant City, Florida. His early childhood was spent in Hinton, West Virginia, from 1951 to 1955.
He spent many summer months in Ballengee with his “summer parents” until 1965. After graduating from high school, he joined the Army. Following his service, he spent twenty-seven years driving an eighteen-wheeler cross-country. Later, he worked for a driving school, teaching theory to students learning to operate big rigs.
Today, he serves as an associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Durant, Florida—a post-retirement role that he considers his most fulfilling. His bucket list includes returning to Hinton, WV, to spend time along the Greenbrier River, reflecting on life and pondering his next home above.
Almost Heaven was originally titled Ballengee, and Thomas began writing it in the early 1980s while driving across the United States and Canada. The characters in the book are inspired by people he remembers from the time he spent with his summer parents, Lester and Fonda Lively, on their farm in Ballengee, West Virginia. Ballengee, a rural area known for its farming and dairy production, was filled with colorful and unique individuals. He first visited in 1954 and returned each summer until 1965. Thomas has always believed that fiction is born of truth, and he filled Ballengee with fictional characters shaped by his impressions of the people he met there.
Almost Heaven follows multiple characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways, revealing the interdependence of their community. As they face economic struggles, personal losses, and moral dilemmas, the characters are drawn closer together through acts of kindness, resilience, and shared faith. Ultimately, the story offers a powerful message of hope—demonstrating that even in life’s darkest moments, renewal and grace are possible.
As the title suggests, the novel reflects the characters’ longing for a better life—both in this world and beyond—while portraying the beauty and challenges of Appalachian life. Through its heartfelt depiction of perseverance and spiritual faith, Almost Heaven delivers a timeless message of hope and renewal.
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