Abbey Pachter
A Monarch in Winter:
Biography of a Butterfly
108 reviews* and growing!
*on Amazon, Audible, & Goodreads.
Audiobook now available on all platforms
"Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterpiece." - E.O. Wilson
https://www.amazon.com/Monarch-Winter-Biography-Butterfly-ebook/dp/B0CM46CGYH
One reviewer wrote, "This memoir of "Spot's" life poses larger questions about the essence of existence, the influence of humans on nature, and our bonds with and responsibilities to other species. This is a beautifully written reflection, acutely observed by an author with a scientific mind and a caring soul. Her writing makes you feel like you know Spot and through this book, he lives on—a wonderful book."
Contact
About the Author
FB: Follow me at www.facebook.com and
abbeypachterauthor.com.
During childhood, summers, Abbey Pachter often caught and released ladybugs and fireflies while exploring her backyard in the northwest Indiana dunes. She learned to look closely at life forms in classes at the Junior school of the Art Institute of Chicago. Having earned advanced degrees from the Universities of Michigan and Pennsylvania, Dr. Pachter's professional career included clinical practice in nursing and midwifery, university faculty and administrative positions, and project management in healthcare informatics. In retirement, she became a Master Naturalist and resumed writing.
Her essays and most recent book are based on personal experience, inspired by nature, and informed by science. Pachter won Golden Nib awards for nonfiction in 2021 and 2023 from the Virginia Writers Club. Several of her essays are in the national e-zine "Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine." Her recently published book, "A Monarch in Winter: Biography of a Butterfly," is available on Amazon. In this photo, she is near Anguangueo, Mexico, where millions of eastern monarchs overwinter.
Literary memberships,
publications, & awards
I'll be a guest speaker at the VWC Symposium August 2, 2025. Topic: Creating Balance in Retirement for Writers
Member and winner of Golden Nib Awards 2021 & 2023 and included in the 2024 edition.
Founded in 1918, "The Virginia Writers Club is a leading organization of seasoned and aspiring writers who are dedicated to fostering the art, craft, business and advocacy of the literary arts throughout the Commonwealth."
-VWC Mission Statement
Click on link above to published short stories.
"Pulse: voices from the heart of medicine" is an online journal that (to quote their tag lines) publishes personal accounts of illness and healing, fosters a humanistic approach to the practice of medicine, and encourages healthcare advocacy. In addition to having several of my own stories published there, I've read so many others of all ages--stories told by nurses, doctors, patients, and doctors and nurses when they've been patients.
It is published weekly. They accept well-written, short stories continuously. After expert editing assistance, accepted stories are often published quickly. Take a look. The link is to my stories but please look at their home page and read other's stories. Support them if you're inspired, moved, as I've been. It gives medical students a forum to hold on to their humanity in a system where it's challenging to maintain compassion.
PhD Dissertation: Pregnancy while Drug Dependent: "Not just me."
(Note: I wasn't drug dependent--I was researching women who were in recovery to better understand many of my midwifery clients.)