#151 : When Memoir Takes You By Surprise | Allison Pataki

Allison Pataki never planned to write a memoir.

As a successful historical fiction author, Allison was very happy researching the worlds of people from the past and staying far from her personal life when writing. But when her husband experienced a sudden stroke in his early 30s, leaving her his caregiver as well as a new mother in the span of a few months, everything changed.

Allison began this book just for her husband. She wrote him a letter every day the first year of his recovery so that he would have a record of that time. She never planned on the letters or the story expanding beyond the family circle. But as she and her husband Dave benefited from the support of the community around them, Allison realized that the experience she had gained might provide comfort and hope to someone else. Beauty in the Broken places has since inspired many readers, resulting in countless letters to the author and much more emotional book signings.

In this episode, Allison shares about the process of writing this incredibly personal book, as well as how it has changed her writing life forever. You won't want to miss this one!

Full show notes with links: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/allison-pataki-151

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