Katharine Butler Hathaway

Date of Birth: October 12, 1890

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Date of Death: September 19, 1942

Biography

Katharine Butler Hathaway was an American author best known for her insightful and poignant memoir “The Little Locksmith,” which chronicled her experiences growing up with physical disabilities. Born into a well-to-do family, Hathaway contracted spinal tuberculosis at a young age, which resulted in her spending much of her childhood in a plaster cast. Despite her physical limitations, she pursued a life rich in artistic and intellectual endeavors. Her memoir, published posthumously in 1943, became a significant piece of literature that offered a rare glimpse into the life of someone living with a chronic illness during the early 20th century. Hathaway also wrote several children’s books and short stories, contributing to American literature with her unique perspective and voice.

5 Interesting Facts about Katharine Butler Hathaway

1. Katharine Butler Hathaway spent much of her childhood immobilized in a cast due to spinal tuberculosis.

2. She was educated at Radcliffe College, where she nurtured her passion for writing.

3. Hathaway purchased a house in Castine, Maine, where she spent her later years and wrote many of her works.

4. Her memoir “The Little Locksmith” was published posthumously and is considered a classic in disability literature.

5. Hathaway’s work has been praised for its lyrical prose and deep emotional insight.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Katharine Butler Hathaway

1. “There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.”

2. “To be oneself, simply oneself, is so amazing and utterly unique an experience that it’s hard to convince oneself it’s one’s duty to pay so much attention to the opinions of others.”

3. “The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.”

4. “The imagination is the spur of delights; all depends upon it.”

5. “A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.”