Life stories are often called memoir or personal history. Here at Publication Consultants, we are fortunate to have many authors who have published wonderful stories of their lives. They now have the joy of sharing their lives with readers from all over the world.
Molly Hootch Hymes is Yupik, an Alaska Native often identified as Eskimo in the United States. She grew up in Alaska when it was still a territory. Her family and her life were fully entwined with the seasons and places of the Lower Yukon River.
She adored her father, James, who was a fisherman, trapper, and hunter. He taught Molly how he provided food for the family, as well as the work of building dogsleds, snowshoes, and fish traps.
Her book is, in great part, an homage to her father, and the way of life that is passing into nostalgia, even in Alaska.
Molly never dreamed she would end up making history. But as a teenager, she was required—forced—to go to high school in Anchorage. There was no high school in her village, or any Native village in the state. This great change in her life was so traumatic to her that it led to a class action lawsuit against the State of Alaska.
The court case settlement resulted in high schools being built in Native villages, for the first time. Molly Hootch became a household name in Alaska, and eventually was honored as the fifteenth most important person since Alaska became the 49th state of the union.
And all she did was tell the story of her life. First in the courts, and then in a book: Molly Hootch, I Remember When. It’s in its second printing, by the way.
Now, I don’t want you to think you have to have made history to write your own life story. Some authors have a simpler story to share. Even the simplest story, shared from the heart can make a difference to readers. No one else has lived your life, no one else can tell the things that are important to you the way you can.
So get writing. Memoir has become a popular genre; and we look forward to reading yours.
If you’ve written a book, if you’re writing a book, if you’re thinking about writing a book, or if you know someone who is writing a book, kindly download your free copy of Bringing Your Book to Market: It describes the publishing process and how you could become a published author like Molly Hymes.