THAT YANKEE GIRL
From upside down,
the world was calmer.
As blood rushed to her head, loose curls fell by the law of gravity, and fingertips scraped the earth beneath her; everything was still.
But the world she knew upside down was nothing like the one she knew standing upright.
In the heat of Florida, an eight-year-old New Yorker learns what it means to protect, to fight, and above all – survive.
Storms, violated innocence, overdoses, segregation, drunken gunfights, suicides, and juvie.
And yet...
the sweetness of oranges at the tops of trees,
Aphrodite standing alongside her,
Birds finding their freedom,
And star-strewn nights, her mother’s eyes twinkling in the heavens above her.
That Yankee Girl invites you to walk beside a little girl facing this vast, merciless world. To hold her as she cries, to laugh with her as she finds joy, to fight beside her as she protects what she loves most.
Her story is an invitation to feel.
To rage, to grieve, to sink into despair and rise again into love, joy, and fleeting, precious freedom.
A child’s heart beats faster than an adult’s. Though smaller, it pumps with remarkable efficiency, carrying resilience through every moment of fear, loss, and hope.
Based on a true story and spoken in blended southern dialect, That Yankee Girl is a stark reminder of the courage it takes to keep a heart beating in a world that is both incredibly cruel and achingly beautiful.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1955, Michaelia Morgan spent much of her early life on a rural dairy farm in Florida, an upbringing that deeply shaped her connection to nature and her understanding of resilience. Though her path was unconventional and did not include high school, she went on to earn an Associate’s degree at just 16, followed by a Bachelor’s degree at 39 and a Master’s degree at 52.
The daughter of an artist and writer, she discovered a love of storytelling early on, even as life led her in many different directions. She once imagined herself as a trapeze artist, an opera singer, or a first-grade teacher, dreams that reflect the creativity and curiosity that still define her voice.
She began writing her memoir over 30 years ago, often in stolen moments as a single mother, sacrificing sleep to give shape to her experiences. Encouraged by her son’s enthusiastic response to her work, she was deeply moved to finally bring her story into the world.
Her memoir explores themes of rural life, early loss, betrayal, the healing power of nature, and the quiet strength of perseverance. Writing it required her to confront difficult memories, which allowed her to step back as both participant and observer of her own life.
Now living between California and Oregon, she finds joy in nature, cycling, kayaking, opera, and helping others. Guided by a deep commitment to kindness, she advocates for individuals and speaks out against inequities, including racism, sexism, ageism, and ableism.
Through her work, she hopes to inspire healing, especially for those with complicated "tangled up" childhoods, and to remind readers of the beauty that can emerge from even the most challenging beginnings. She envisions this memoir as the first in a series and hopes one day to see her story reach a wider audience through film.
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