Teen readers who are fans of Katherine Paterson, as well as adults who admire her work, will especially appreciate this memoir in which the beloved author shares stories of her own life, stories about others who inspired her, and stories about real-life events that inspired some of her novels. The child of missionaries, Paterson grew up in China, Virginia, and North Carolina before and during World War II. She later went to Japan as a missionary herself before returning to the United States go to college. She then fell in love, and settled into life as a mother and writer. Her compassionate world view and sense of humor both shine through in a narrative that also offers many deeply moving moments, including a chapter chronicling the final months in the life of her beloved husband (and occasional co-author), John Paterson. Intermittent black-and-white photographs illustrate a volume that is a pleasure to read.
(Age 12 and older)

From her childhood in China to the moment she won her first National Book Award, literary icon Katherine Paterson shares the personal stories that inspired her children’s books.
Told with her trademark humor and heart, Paterson's tales reveal details about her life from her childhood with missionary parents, to living as a single woman in Japan, to raising four children in suburban Maryland with her minister husband. Read about the origins of such familiar characters as Leslie Burke and Janice Avery from Bridge to Terabithia, and go behind the scenes to the moments Katherine found out she won her many awards. Filled with personal photos and letters, this funny, heartwarming history from a legendary writer lets fans in on the making of literary classics.