Kansas native and Wichita State University alumnus Mark Wentling will travel to Wichita from his home in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for a reading and signing of his new book, “Africa’s Release,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at Watermark Books and Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas.

Wentling, who works as country director for the nonprofit Plan Burkina Faso, graduated from Wichita State in 1967 after interrupting his studies to pursue adventure with the Peace Corps.

He went on to fall in love with Africa as a volunteer aid worker in Togo in 1970 and throughout his humanitarian career with Peace Corps, USAID, U.S. nongovernmental organizations and more. His life and work on the continent has taken him to all 54 countries, and he has written numerous professional articles on Africa’s development challenges.

Wentling recently began writing about his adventures in Africa, publishing the semi-autobiographical novel “Africa’s Embrace” last year. “Africa’s Release” is a sequel to that adventure.

The story sees the young protagonist returned to his native Kansas against a background of African mysticism, which he has experienced first-hand. The final book in the trilogy “Africa’s Heart,” will be released at the end of this year.

Read more about Wentling’s work and writing at http://goo.gl/uveC8n.