From the #1 New York Times bestselling writer and author of How to Love an American Man comes a memoir that inspires us to remember the special teachers in our lives and reflect on the change we create when we share our stories.
Mrs. Korthaus has always been ahead of her time—an educator who inspired her students to dream bigger, think deeper, and live boldly. For decades, she led an English classroom with caring and conviction, but it’s not until she’s retired, and then fighting cancer, that she begins to share her story: long ago marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., building a corporate career, and overcoming heartbreak before “accidentally” becoming a teacher and forever shaping the lives of countless young adults—including bestselling author Kristine Gasbarre.
In Show, Don’t Tell, Kristine reflects on her thirty-year friendship with this extraordinary teacher who shaped her life so significantly. She shares the profound lessons Mrs. Korthaus taught her and other students on self-discovery, resilience, strength, and showing up fully for life. It shines a spotlight on the power of sharing our lives and our stories with each other as it moves between tragedy, awe, and the heartwarming relationship forged over decades between two women from different generations. Above all, it delivers a moving reminder about the elders who’ve believed in us—and a call to thank them for the lives they influenced us to lead.
"When Kristine Gasbarre met Mrs. Korthaus, her junior-high teacher was already a popular and influential teacher among students. For Kristine and other young girls, she was the only woman they knew who proudly embraced her independence in their male-dominated, small-town community. Mrs. Korthaus had been out in the world, had marched on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and supported herself financially by starting and running her own catering business before "accidentally" becoming a teacher. Teaching suited the ninety-six-pound woman perfectly, and she dedicated 100 percent of the hours she wasn't sleeping to showing students how to learn and think for themselves. Under her guidance, many struggling students felt confident enough to peel themselves away from the familiarity of their hometown to realize and chase after their dreams. In Show, Don't Tell, Kristine Gasbarre shares the wisdom she gleaned from the teacher who shaped her own life so significantly--from her career to her relationships to her thoughts on the meaning of life. It shines a spotlight on the power of sharing our lives and our stories with each other as it moves readers with tragedy, awe, and the heartwarming relationship forged over three decades between two women from different generations. Mrs. Korthaus's wisdom about a woman's sense of self, feminine strength, leadership, and female independence have inspired Kristine and will remind readers to pause and honor the teachers in our lives-the humans behind the lessons"--
