“The Bootlegger’s Friend” by Clare Blando was displayed at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California

Every year, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books becomes livelier and brighter due to the growing number of attendees. From book lovers, casual readers, and literary collectors to authors and publishers, people gathered to celebrate literacy.

The largest book festival in the US opened its doors last April for a glamorous two-day weekend celebration with the bookworms. Held at the University of Southern California, many book enthusiasts, book lovers, and book collectors, as well as writers, established authors, and many more, attended the free event.

A lot of bookfair-goers went by the Citi of Books booth to check for their next read and potential favorite book. One of the books that were chosen is “The Bootlegger’s Friend” by Clare Blando. It was displayed on April 20th and 21st at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California.

Clare Blando was born and raised in Houston, TX. She graduated from the University of Missouri (Mizzou) and lives in Kansas City, MO, with her husband of 35 years. She and Tom have four grown children and two grandchildren. Her years of exposure to the wine and liquor industry have led to an appreciation of fine wine and its benefits to health and well-being. She and Tom can be found on warm summer evenings enjoying a glass of wine in the front yard with friends and family.

The book “The Bootlegger’s Friend” tells the real story of Johnny Lazia, a popular Kansas City politician during the wild politics of Prohibition. Lazia befriends Giovanni, a Sicilian immigrant and bootlegger, despite their different backgrounds. They bond over drinks, gambling, and political maneuvering, living a fast life on the edge of the law for a decade. Giovanni worries about Johnny’s involvement with gangsters and urges him to go straight. Things get messy when Johnny gets tangled in a notorious crime and helps a criminal escape. Giovanni fears for Johnny’s safety and tries to pull him away from the underworld, making some progress until another shocking event rocks Kansas City.