LITTLE BY LITTLE: A Writer's Education

The celebrated Canadian author of such well-received books as Mama's Going to Buy You a Mockingbird writes vividly about her life up until the publication of her first book. Little spent her early years in Taiwan and Hong Kong with her medical missionary family. Her first chapter memorably depicts her early realization of her limited sight--a theme that continues to echo as she searches for acceptance from peers who, unable to see beyond her handicap, hurt her with their own blindness. As the family moves back to Canada, Little depicts her experiences with humor, toughness, and a poignancy that give a clear and unforgettable portrait of an outsider who can admit that sometimes her exclusion had as much to do with her personal limitations as with her physical handicap. In a notably warm and loving family, her parents stand out as wise sources of strength, encouragement, and understanding--but with weaknesses as well. Readers of Little's fiction will recognize many aspects of her life from her books; but anyone can appreciate the story of the development of a talented writer and a valuable human being. Entertaining and memorable.