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At 91, Nora Percival has lived a long and varied life, and she's still making her way -- at 88, she became a writer. She first had the desire to write in the 1930s. But in the days of the Great Depression, it was a struggle merely to survive. And Percival's life wasn't easy then. In 1939, her husband died of leukemia and she learned that she was pregnant. At 24, she became a mother--alone. "But life has a way of demanding that you live it," Pervical tells her granddaughter Emily Wynns.
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Piece Description
At 91, Nora Percival has lived a long and varied life, and she's still making her way -- at 88, she became a writer. She first had the desire to write in the 1930s. But in the days of the Great Depression, it was a struggle merely to survive. And Percival's life wasn't easy then. In 1939, her husband died of leukemia and she learned that she was pregnant. At 24, she became a mother--alone. "But life has a way of demanding that you live it," Pervical tells her granddaughter Emily Wynns.
Broadcast History
NPR's Morning Edition 8/11/06
Transcript
NP: Oh in 1936 I had many dreams. It was the depression and it was very
hard for young people then to get lives started. But we did get married
and we finally got jobs. We were very happy. But soon after that in 1939
Herman was diagnosed with acute leukemia and the doctor did not want the
patient to know that he was not going to recover. It was very hard for
me not to tell Herman such an important thing because we told each other
everything. The day that he died, the doctor was there, and gave him
morphine so he would slip into a coma. But after a couple of hours of
that he woke up very bright and bushy tailed, talking and laughing. He
made me lie down by him and held me and talked for 3 hours until he
finally lapsed into unconsciousness. It was the best gift he could have
given me.
I couldn't imagine living in a world that didn't have him in it, but
life has a way of demanding that yo...
Read the full transcript
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