New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Canedy presents her book, A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor on Wednesday, February 4, at 7 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Equal parts poignant and tragic, A Journal for Jordan serves as a history lesson for a son taught by the father he will never meet.

In 2005, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King began to write what would become a two-hundred page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. On October 14, 2006, King was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated under his Humvee, less than one month before he was to return home to Canedy and their seven-month-old son, Jordan.

A Journal for Jordan serves as a mother’s fiercely honest letter about a fallen father and their relationship, mixed with King’s advice and prayers for his son. In the book, King counsels Jordan on everything from how to withstand disappointment and deal with adversaries to how to behave on a date. In perhaps the most wrenching chapter in the book, Canedy recounts her search for answers about King’s death. Unsatisfied with the Army’s version of what happened and determined to find the truth, she drew on her reporting skills to interview the men who were with King on his last convoy. In the end, she arrived at an account of King’s death that was more difficult to face, but that affirmed the decency and courage of this warrior and father.

Canedy’s presentation is co-sponsored by Rainy Day Books. A Journal for Jordan will be available for sale, and Canedy will sign copies purchased during the event.