Kathleen Griffin, author of THE TALE OF GINGER BUTTONS, has been a resident of Napa County for 34 years. She was born in Canada in 1911 and moved to Southern California with her family at the age of 12. She attended Long Beach schools and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in 1934. Her first job was as a social worker during the depression. In the 1940's she was an organizer for the ILWU and campaign director for the Oakland Voters League.

Ms. Griffin became an entrepreneur in 1954 with the purchase of a restaurant in Berkeley, Kitty's, which she operated until 1965. From 1966 to 1975 she owned a nightclub in Berkeley, The New Orleans House, which featured jazz, rock and roll, and some acoustic music. Two commercial records were recorded live there.

In 1957 she returned to college to obtain a teaching credential in special education and worked in Contra Costa County as a teacher for 16 years. Ms. Griffin retired in 1976, but continued to work as a substitute teacher for Napa Unified until 1991. She is a mother of three, grandmother of five and great-grandmother of two.

Ms. Griffin has had a love of literature throughout her long life and has written and published poetry in the past. When she became the companion of the Jack Russell Terrier "mix" known as Ginger Buttons, (a graduate of the Humane Society of Napa County), an "adventure" began that resulted in her new book, THE TALE OF GINGER BUTTONS. The charming story is narrated by the completely truthful and unabashedly naughty dog, who has an explanation for every mischievous deed. Ginger Buttons also has revealing and sometimes uncomplimentary things to say about her elderly companion. One young reader, Katrina Kern of Pahoa, Hawaii, has this to say:

"It was cute the way the dog kept saying how much everything costed that it had damaged...THE TALE of GINGER BUTTONS was a very excellent book. It was neat the way the dog told the story. I think it's a very good book to read. A lot of people would enjoy it."

Another reader, five year old Patrick Jostin, sent Ms. Griffin a delightful Thank You Drawing.

Ms. Griffin has illustrated the book with over two dozen original drawings. Take a few minutes to read Chapter One.

In appreciation of the Humane Society for her beloved Ginger Buttons, and in full support of the wonderful work that they do, a portion of the profits from the sale of the book will benefit the Society. The book was published locally by Lulu Press and can be purchased at Napa bookstores and at the Humane Society adoption center on Imola, and their clinic on California Blvd.

To contact Ms. Griffin, write to: Lulu Press, P.O. Box 2344, Napa, CA, or e-mail her.

The Tale of Ginger Buttons
Back to Napa County Writers' Page | Lulu Press