Stories of My Life

Starred review from July 21, 2014
“Sometimes I can’t believe my own life,” writes Paterson in these autobiographical stories about her missionary parents, her childhood in China and the U.S., and her career—first as a missionary herself and, after marriage and motherhood, as one of the most decorated authors in children’s literature. Fans of her novels will enjoy learning about the real-life places and events that inspired her work: the family farm that became the setting for Park’s Quest, the similarities between her mother and Susan Bradshaw in Jacob Have I Loved, and the death of her son’s best friend that led to Bridge to Terabithia. Written in a conversational style, these “kitchen sink stories” will perhaps be received best by professional adults and readers who grew up with her books; much of what she recounts is about the distant past, courtship, and motherhood. What absolutely shines through is Paterson’s warm, self-effacing humor, and the extraordinary humility of a writer who has won two National Book Awards, two Newbery Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Like Mark Twain, to whom she is distantly related, Paterson is a true American treasure. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)■

Starred review from August 1, 2014
The noted writer offers both stories about her life and insights into where her book ideas came from. In a volume that could just as easily have been titled Becoming Katherine Paterson, the award-winning author offers personal stories of special interest to "the people I care about, a lot of whom are the readers of my books." Katherine Womeldorf was born in China, in 1932, to American Christian missionaries. China was to be her home for most of her childhood, and she grew up in a time of political unrest, warfare and famine. She writes of her life as a missionary, education in American schools and her teaching career, and she tells stories of her parents, her marriage to a Presbyterian minister, becoming a mother and adopting two of her four children. Along the way, she shows how her novels were informed by the people she met and events she experienced. Not shaped as a memoir with a cohesive narrative, the stories read more as valentines to family, friends and readers. Though she almost didn't become a writer for fear of adding "another mediocre writer to the world," Paterson has won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Awards, among other honors. Despite the accolades, her voice is chatty and engaged, with not a hint of literary hauteur. Paterson's legions of fans, young and old, will welcome this peek into her life and process. (timeline, family tree) (Memoir.14 & up)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 6 Up-A beloved author shares family lore and personal history in a collection of stories wending casually from her parents' youth to her husband's recent death, with many illuminating stops-geographical and temporal-in between. This set of personal tales offers the same openness and vibrant detail that helped Paterson garner Newbery Medals and National Book Awards. The chapters and accompanying photographs lace together family history with professional triumphs and struggles, sometimes leaping decades and continents in one or two sentences, with many episodes focusing on her family's experiences during her childhood in China and her own adult missionary life in Japan. Longtime fans will delight in the origin stories dotted throughout, revealing inspirations for familiar characters, locations, and incidents. In the introduction, Paterson dismisses the notion of publishing her memoirs, and the meaningful compilation of anecdotes here does not present as a single, cohesive narrative. Some chapters display a nuanced interweaving and a sense of resolution, while others appear as lists or simple, chronological accounts. Paterson's Christian faith and her missionary background inform many of the tales, and her robust family relationships suffuse the entire book with contented warmth. Though the text is accessible to middle and high school students, the audience may be largely professional, as the stories, while never inappropriate, address adult concerns (such as Paterson dealing with parenthood). For those of us never invited to dinner in Paterson's undoubtedly welcoming home, this book allows us at least to imagine the stories we might hear while doing the dishes.-Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Grades 7-12 This unusual narrative, which Paterson emphasizes is not a memoir, started out as a collection of family stories. After the author conducted research into previous generations, she extended her scope to include information and anecdotal tales about her parents, who were missionaries in China, and their families. Paterson spent her early years in China, and for much of her life, she thought of it as home, although her family left after war broke out with Japan. The excellent autobiographical section of the book tells of the writer's childhood in China and America, her four years as a missionary in Japan, her courtship and marriage, and her experiences as a mother and as a writer. Paterson's stature in the field of children's books guarantees this non-memoir an audience, and her skill as a storyteller ensures that the book is worth reading, though it may be adults who enjoy it most. While some will find her family history intriguing, many more will enjoy the warmth, humor, and immediacy of the tales drawn from her life. A gift for Paterson fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)