Judith Pearson

Best-selling and award winning author Judy Pearson’s career began in a tree: a wonderful old maple in her parents’ backyard, with a perfect branch on which to sit and write. Now hundreds of thousands of words later, this Michigan native’s voice is still inspiring! Judy is a graduate of Michigan State University and has newspaper, magazine, online articles, and five books to her credit. She is also a much-requested presenter and speaker. But her favorite title is “story teller,” as exemplified by the biographies she writes. Written in a narrative style, each page causes readers to marvel at what ordinary people can accomplish in extraordinary situations. The late Senator John McCain called Judy's BELLY OF THE BEAST “a searing tribute.” It is the story of a naval corpsman who became one of the first POWs of the Imperial Japanese during WWII, endured a “hell ship” journey, and was one of the last to return home. Her second biography, WOLVES AT THE DOOR: THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA'S GREATEST FEMALE SPY, is the story of Virginia Hall. She was the architect of the resistance in central France during WWII. Most unbelievable is that Virginia lost her left leg in a pre-war hunting accident. The book is not only a best-seller, but has been purchased for a movie. Judy’s next book, FROM SHADOWS TO LIFE: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE CANCER SURVIVORSHIP MOVEMENT, is a group biography following five founders and leaders of the movement. These medical heroes brought cancer survivorship to national consciousness. The book won the 2022 Nautilus Gold Award. CRUSADE TO HEAL AMERICA: THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF MARY LASKER is the absorbing history of the work of fearless and feisty Mary Lasker. Mary led the country’s march to conquer humanity’s most feared maladies, and was responsible for building governmental financial support for medical research. Her coup de grace was the National Cancer Act, born in the midst of political intrigue and fueling billions of dollars into research. On September 9, 2025, Judy's newest book hits bookshelves. Blending vocal advocacy and sometimes not-so-quiet resistance, RADICAL SISTERS: SHIRLEY TEMPLE BLACK, ROSE KUSHNER, EVELYN LAUDER AND THE DAWN OF THE BREAST CANCER MOVEMENT follows each of these women as they face the terrifying diagnosis of breast cancer, the realization that treatment choices might not be their own, and that the disease’s lack of awareness and research was killing literally at epidemic proportions. Judy was named one of Chicago’s Most Inspirational Women and a Phoenix Healthcare Hero, and was a finalist for the Arizona Healthcare Leadership Award.