CONROY CENTER TO HOST BECKY YOUNG MILLER
Author Of Transplanting Hope
February 12, 6:00 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort
The Pat Conroy Literary Center is partnering with First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort to welcome former Beaufortonian Becky Young Miller to discuss her recently published memoir, Transplanting Hope: A Journey Through Pain, Addiction, and the Miracle of a Rare Surgical Procedure. Miller will speak about her powerful experience at a free community-wide event in First Presbyterian’s Sanctuary (410 Church St.) on Wednesday, February 12, at 6:00 p.m.
Miller has lived many lives, from teaching on a Navajo reservation to caring for eight squirrel monkeys and crunching numbers as a commercial credit analyst. In the past 15 years, Miller has used her love of math and teaching to be a tutor. She is also a pastor’s wife and a mother. Miller’s life has been dramatically changed by excruciating pain caused by chronic pancreatitis. Her faith and strength were the beacons of light that guided her during an incredibly difficult time. Miller’s book follows her harrowing journey through diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately the return to her “new normal.” While few can relate to her specific condition, her story is inspirational for anyone dealing with pain.
“Becky’s raw and remarkable memoir is full of topics of keen interest to us at the Conroy Center: writing-as-healing, truth-telling, empathy, and the overarching importance of sharing our stories to remind ourselves and each other that we are not alone,” said Jonathan Haupt, Conroy Center Executive Director. “Her book is heartrending and frank in discussing pain and suffering, but ultimately this is a story of hope and faith and one which invites a wide audience in our community.”
Following a welcome by First Presbyterian’s senior pastor Patrick Perryman, Miller will be introduced by Conroy Center student intern Holland Perryman. Copies of Transplanting Hope will be available for sale and signing following the author’s presentation. Miller will repeat her talk on Sunday, February 16, at 4:00 p.m. at Lowcountry Presbyterian Church of Bluffton (10 Simmonsville Rd).
TripAdvisor’s top-ranked destination in Beaufort, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, is located at 905 Port Republic Street in historic downtown and open to the public from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays. Winner of the 2019 Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership presented by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Conroy Center is South Carolina’s first affiliate of the American Writers Museum and second American Library Association Literary Landmark. Through its interpretive center, year-round educational programs, and annual literary festival, the Conroy Center preserves and continues the literary legacy of Pat Conroy (1945–2016) as a teacher, mentor, advocate, and friend to readers and writers alike. To learn more, please visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
