Show, Don’t Tell

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.

• “As society moves toward a more automated world, where everything traces back to analytics or algorithms, Kristine Gasbarre masterfully reminds us of the value in the age-old art of ‘caring enough.’ Through the story of the indomitable Mrs. Korthaus, we learn how one individual’s persistence in pushing her students to be the best version of themselves made a community, and, frankly, a nation, all the richer.Gasbarre’s book will inspire those who seek a life beyond screens, who want to engage and learn real-world lessons from a teacher who exemplifies the best of human connection.”
  Luke Russert, New York Times bestselling author of Look for Me There