NW Book Talk – Leslie Johansen Nack – 3-11-2026

Leslie Johansen Nack: Writing Through Trauma, Resilience, and Recovery

Award-winning author Leslie Johansen Nack joins Northwest Book Talk to discuss the deeply personal stories behind her powerful memoirs Fourteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival and its sequel Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery.

In this candid conversation, Leslie shares how her unusual childhood, growing up under the guidance of a charismatic but abusive father and sailing the world as a teenager, shaped her life and ultimately inspired her writing.

She reflects on the long journey of healing that made it possible to tell her story, the challenges of revisiting traumatic experiences while writing, and how readers have responded to her work.

Leslie also talks about her historical novel The Blue Butterfly, based on the fascinating life of actress Marion Davies, and offers insights into the realities of book promotion and building an audience.

Leslie will also appear at the Northwest Book Fair & Media Fest in Vancouver, Washington.