An Elizabethton native recently published her first children’s book and on Thursday she returned to her hometown to donate copies to the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library.
Patricia DiFranco, better known to her friends as “Pat,” delivered two copies of her book How Mary Got Her Lamb to the library Thursday morning and signed each copy. The book tells the story of Mary, from nursery rhyme fame, and how she came to have a lamb as a pet. DiFranco self-published the book through Christian Faith Publishing.
DiFranco said she first penned the story around 20 years ago while working as a missionary teacher in foreign countries.
“I was teaching overseas and we taught writing skills to little children,” she said. “I took a writing course and the professor said to write a little book.”
From that class project, How Mary Got Her Lamb was born.
“I shared it with the students and the little children and they loved it,” DiFranco said.
But then the story was put aside, tucked away with other stories and memories DiFranco collected during her career working alongside her husband as teaching and sharing their faith. The couple worked in several countries including Nigeria, Korea and Tunisia.
“We were like tent-making missionaries, we would get a job and go work with the church,” she said. “I’ve taught in little, bitty schools and great big city schools.”
A few years ago, the DiFrancos retired and moved back to the United States. They now live in Rock Hill, S.C., with their daughter.
“After I retired I got out some of the little things I had written,” DiFranco said. “I’ve written several little things. I’ve also written my memoirs.”
She selected How Mary Got Her Lamb as her first work to publish to share with children everywhere. As the book’s title implies, it shares the story of how Mary from the nursery rhyme got her lamb. The description of the book provided on the Amazon website said: “How many times have you recited the nursery rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’? Have you stopped to think about how or why she had a lamb? Do you not think that is an unusual pet for a little girl to have? Is it hard to take care of a lamb? This little book looks at these issues. Read to find out her reasons and how she came to have a lamb.”
Those who would like to purchase a copy of DiFranco’s book can do so at brick and mortar book stores or online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or the Apple iTunes store. The book is available in both paperback and e-reader formats.