Bismarck woman’s real-life experiences inspire new children’s book

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Sometimes the best book ideas come from real-life experiences.

Just ask Pam Crawford.

She turned an experience she and her family had into a children’s book.

There’s a lesson in the story, that’s based on not just one experience, but on her entire life.

This is a story Pam Crawford knows by heart. It’s the story of the time she lost her wedding ring on the top of a volcano in Hawaii. She recalls being sad, but not mad and turning the loss into a lesson for her sons.

“There are some things you can’t do anything about and maybe that was a good lesson for him,” said Crawford.

The experience inspired her to write this book, “Ring of Change.” It is the story of an 8-year-old girl named Leia, who convinces the volcano king to change his ways.

“She has the courage to approach him and talk about traditions and how maybe sometimes things can change,” explained Crawford.

It’s a story not that unlike Crawford’s real life. After working in human resources and raising her sons, she found the courage to make a change and pursue her dream of being a lawyer.

“I always wanted to go to law school. I loved it. It was life changing,” she recalled.

Crawford graduated law school at age 59. She worked in the Attorney General’s office and then for Mid Dakota clinic before retiring. She still works part time as a legal consultant for the Heartview Foundation. Her mother’s death followed by a breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 inspired her to finally write the story she’d been thinking about since 2017.

She’s got more book ideas; some will involve Leia.

“My sons encouraged me to call it Leia’s ‘adventures’ not ‘adventure,’ so I can write more,” she explained.

And, if they’re based on Crawford’s real-life adventures, you can bet they’ll include tales of courage and bravery too, straight off the pages of the book of Crawford’s life.

As for her ring, Crawford got it back the day after she lost it. Someone found it and turned it into the park ranger.

You can purchase Crawford’s book on Amazon. She plans to donate all proceeds from the book to Heartview.

She’s learned that writing can be good therapy and she wants to make sure every patient has access to a journal to record their thoughts and journeys.

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