Judith Pearson is a best-selling and award-winning author, an accomplished presenter, and a graduate of Michigan State University. But her favorite title is “story teller.”
Always a fan of history, Judy’s first biographies told of ordinary people who became extraordinary heroes during World War II. A diagnosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer briefly interrupted Judy’s career, but believing there is always treasure in life’s wreckage, Judy’s treasure became an accidental trio of biographies. The first, From Shadows to Life: A Biography of the Cancer Survivorship Movement, was selected as the 2021 Nautilus Book Award gold winner.
During her research, Judy learned about Mary Lasker, and told her amazing story in Crusade to Heal America: The Remarkable Life of Mary Lasker. It was awarded with a 2024 bronze Florida Book Award. The third book is Radical Sisters: Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, Evelyn Lauder, and the Dawn of the Breast Cancer Movement. It was recognized with a 2026 gold Florida Book Award.
Judy was named one of Chicago’s Most Inspirational Women by Chicago Magazine, selected as a finalist for the Arizona Healthcare Leadership Awards, and named a Phoenix Healthcare Hero. She and her husband live on Florida’s beautiful Gulf coast, where long beach walks ignite her creativity.
We are pleased to welcome Judy to Word of South, where she will appear on the Florida Book Awards panel for Nonfiction.