{"title":"Laurada Byers","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaurada Byers founded the Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia in 2001, along with her two stepchildren, Russell Jr. and Alison, in memory of her late husband, Russell Byers, who was a prominent Philadelphia newspaper columnist. She served as the chair of the Byerschool Foundation and has dedicated herself for over twenty-five years to the vision of providing a high-quality public school focused on the whole child and experiential learning. Laurada has previously headed and served on the board of the International House, an organization focused on engaging international students studying in Philadelphia. She also served on the board of the Philadelphia Film Society and was a founder of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnder the firm Laurada founded, Warthog Productions, she designed two “political” stuffed animals— “Repiglicans” and “Demoquacks”—to teach kids about politics and governance, which she sold at national political conventions. She is the author of two editions of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook of Blessings: 52 Graces from Around the World\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, coauthored with Joseph Torsella, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWild Wisdom: A Warthog’s Tale\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an illustrated memoir with art by Natalie Hays Stewart. She has been named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University as well as an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"laurada-my-life-of-adventure-tragedy-and-purpose","title":"Laurada - My Life of Adventure, Tragedy, and Purpose","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“What [Laurada’s] life teaches us is that true grit has a purpose, and that purpose is to make the future better for others.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAngela Duckworth, PhD, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBestselling Author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e--\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBorn into privilege in Bronxville, New York, Laurada Byers’s early life included boarding school in Connecticut, world travel, and a marriage to the wildly charismatic and endlessly curious W. Russell G. Byers, an acclaimed newspaper columnist. Together, they built a home in Philadelphia's historic Chestnut Hill filled with laughter, cherished traditions, and a spirit of generosity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen, in a single unimaginable moment, everything changed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter witnessing her husband's murder on December 4, 1999, Laurada found herself navigating overwhelming grief and an uncertain future. But instead of allowing loss to define her, she chose to honor Russell's passion for education by creating the Russell Byers Charter School. This lasting legacy continues to inspire and educate generations of students.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLife would ask even more of her. Confronting diagnoses of Parkinson's disease and cancer, Laurada once again discovered reservoirs of courage she never knew she possessed, finding renewed purpose and the determination to keep moving forward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeartfelt, elegant, and deeply inspiring, this memoir is a testament to resilience and the enduring power of love. Through extraordinary adventures and inconceivable losses, Laurada's journey reminds us that hope is not something we find—it is something we choose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecause, as Laurada learned, anything is possible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sunburypress.com\/collections\/laurada-byers\"\u003eLaurada Byers\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sunburypress.com\/collections\/wilson-jeremiah-moses\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePage Count: 178\u003cbr\u003eTrim Size: 6 x 9\u003cbr\u003ePublish Date: July 28, 2026\u003cbr\u003eImprint: Sunbury Press\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Memoir\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Women\u003cbr\u003eBIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Memoirs\u003cbr\u003eFAMILY \u0026amp; RELATIONSHIPS \/ Death, Grief, Bereavement\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Laurada Byers","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44785320853597,"sku":"9798888194614","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover with dust jacket","offer_id":44785343725661,"sku":"9798888194744","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0294\/8484\/3101\/files\/Laurada_fc_FIN.jpg?v=1784920074"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0294\/8484\/3101\/collections\/Laurada_portrait.jpg?v=1784922442","url":"https:\/\/www.sunburypress.com\/collections\/laurada-byers.oembed","provider":"Sunbury Press Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}