Frances Kakugawa
An award-winning author of fifteen books, Frances Kakugawa resides in Sacramento, California. A former teacher and caregiver herself, Frances advocates for treating the elderly and others with dementia or long-term illness with dignity at all times, noting that this more humane view of caregiving brings grace to both patient and caregiver, and transforms the experience from a burden into an opportunity for personal connection and growth. Through her writings, workshops, school visitations, readings and speaking engagements nationwide, she now helps adults and children discover how to use writing to enrich their own lives. She also pens “Dear Frances,” a regular column on caregiving in The Hawai‘i Herald.
Her releases from Watermark Publishing include the Wordsworth the Poet children’s book series; caregivers’ guides Mosaic Moon: Caregiving Through Poetry and I Am Somebody: Bringing Dignity and Compassion to Alzheimer’s Caregiving; and memoirs Teacher, You Look Like a Horse!, Kapoho: Memoir of a Modern Pompeii and Echoes of Kapoho. She has been recognized for her work by the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association, Northern California Publishers & Authors, Mom’s Choice Awards, Sunrise Ministry Foundation, California Writers Club, Hawai‘i Pacific Gerontological Society and the Hawai‘i Japanese Women’s Society Foundation.
