Boise State professor’s new novel hits shelves with five-star reviews

Mitch Wieland’s novel, The Ghosts of Okuma, goes on sale Monday at Regal House Publishing after drawing strong praise from three industry outlets. The book centers on the lingering effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on families dealing with displacement and loss.

Library Journal described the narrative as incredibly vivid, beautiful, and tragic. The publication compared the story to Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Stephen King’s The Stand, noting that the plot holds a reader’s attention from the first page to the last. The San Francisco Book Review awarded the novel five stars, calling it surprising and relevant. The Independent Book Review selected the title as a staff pick, praising its depiction of familial grief and the effort required to rebuild a life after profound loss.

Wieland teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Boise State University. He previously founded the university’s Creative Writing MFA program and the literary journal The Idaho Review. He currently holds the title of Idaho Writer in Residence.

A public book launch for The Ghosts of Okuma is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will take place in the Bishop Barnwell Room in the Student Union Building. Wieland will join author Brady Udall for a conversation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing, and light refreshments will be served alongside a cash bar. Admission is free.