Author Tim O'Brien will be in town Monday to meet with local residents. His book, "The Things They Carried," was chosen as this year's Austin Pager Turners book and has received attention by many in the community.

High school students are covering it in classes. Many O'Brien fans signed up for a chance to have lunch with him and Austin Page Turners members.

One of the reasons it has touched so many people is its subject matter -- war. In it, O'Brien addresses the Vietnam War from different perspectives.

With the war in Iraq, O'Brien's lecture at 7 p.m. Monday at Riverland Community College even might be interesting to those who haven't read the book.

The lecture could lend some time to discuss the current war, a situation that has affected almost every resident in the area.