Dear friends and relatives:

 Many of you read and appreciated my book, “Death Beyond the Willows,” and I’m excited to tell you that we’ve published a revised edition of this nonfiction story with many updates.

This newly released edition includes fresh graphics designed to enhance readership. The Pirkl family tree will help readers follow who’s who among the many relatives. Maps pinpoint clusters of key locations. A new cover is tastefully designed. And an Afterword tells how the book inspired bus tours of key sites and of stunning coincidental stories that emerged and brought this rich history full circle.

To refresh you on the basics: “Death Beyond the Willows” is a true story of rural history surrounding the shocking 1927 tragedy in Portage, Wis., that befell a couple from Dane County, Wis., on their wedding day. It’s a story about the family farm and how we’re losing that part of our heritage. It’s a story about an old Chevy in the days when highways still offered primitive transportation. It’s a story about spirituality and a clash of religions that divided the two families—with dramatic and surprising twists. And it’s a story that emphasizes how every person, every life, holds a library of stories.

“Greg Peck’s work is a breath of fresh air,” says Ben Logan, author of the popular Wisconsin book “The Land Remembers.”

I spent years researching this tragedy, which inspired the late Zona Gale, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and native of Portage, to write a fictional short story, “Bridal Pond.” My book weaves the true, full story, and my partners and I spent months working on and publishing this update.

I thank all of you who supported this project by buying one of the first two editions. I appreciate it deeply. If you or someone you know—a friend or relative—might be interested in this updated book, I can ship a signed copy for $20. It would make a good Christmas gift. Please pass the word! Send checks to me at: 1421 Eastwood Ave., Janesville, WI 53545.

 All my best,

Greg Peck