Michigan native and bestselling author Ruta Sepetys joins One Detroit to discuss her new novel, “A Fortune of Sand.” It’s a historical drama set in Detroit during the city’s 1920s boom. Inspired by an often overlooked chapter of Detroit history, the novel explores ambition, family loyalty, and the fortunes built—and lost—during one of America’s most transformative eras.

One Detroit contributor Lauren Smith of PBS Books recently sat down with Sepetys at the Penn Theatre in Plymouth. Sepetys reflected on her Michigan roots, the surprising stories she uncovered through her research, and why Detroit’s past still resonates so powerfully today.