Patsie McCandless

A speaker, artist, author, musician, educator, mother and grandmother, Patsie McCandless grew up on a rural island in Rhode Island, where she taught sailing, took a ferry to school, and eventually taught primary school for thirty years. Patsie’s father was Commander Michael Phalen Smith, a Light On character who taught her to sail, and designed and built the Rooster Class sailboats mentioned in this book.

Patsie is also an award-winning artist in cut paper. She exhibits in International Miniature shows, and her PaperSolo artwork series is in the permanent collection of the St. Petersburg Opera Company in Florida.

A special gift led her to a monastery on the Hudson River in upstate New York for a writing retreat with Madeleine L’Engle, and she has not stopped writing since. In addition, Patsie’s great-great grandmother is Margarethe Grimm (1824 – 1908). Family lore has always passed along the suggestion that she is related to the Brothers Grimm – which is a fairytale of a place to be as an author.

This is the fourth book in the inspiring Becoming Jesse series, winner of multiple prestigious awards: Mom’s Choice Gold Medal Award, the Family Choice Award, the Zamiz Press Book Cover Image Award, and a Finalist Award from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards (UK).

Patsie and her husband live near Philadelphia, PA and enjoy the everyday magic of their children and grandchildren.