Mary Kathleen Mehuron

Mary Kathleen Mehuron is a career educator who made a splash with her first book, Fading Past, an autobiographical novel whose protagonist, like Mary Kathleen, grew up Irish-Catholic in New Jersey. The Opposite of Never is Mary Kathleen’s second book, and to finish it, she traveled alone to Havana in January 2015 in order to experience the city before it became Americanized. Mary Kathleen lives and teaches in a ski town in Vermont where they call her Kathy. This is where she and her husband raised three sons,  and she is a columnist and writes novels and non-fiction books to raise money for her nonprofit Take Me Back. The mission is to raise awareness about and money for showcasing the history of the Mad River Valley. She also takes extended time to work on her novels on Grand Turk Island, Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and Savannah.

what people Say

About the author of The Belonger

“The warm breezes of the Caribbean, a wild hurricane, and a woman who finds her own power and becomes an unwitting heroine. Readers of this entertaining novel will be transported to a magical place where great loss and sacrifice pave the way to an unexpected love and life.”
—Kris Radish, author of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral and The Year of Necessary Lies

“The Belonger’s Caribbean goes from idyllic to horrific as restaurateur Holly Walker struggles to survive a monster hurricane that attacks Grand Turk island. Storms of another kind erupt as love in paradise turns to love in the ruins, with a wicked plot twist that delivers more men than Holly can handle. This is a straight-shot read from start to finish, so Caribbean-real you almost expect sand to shake from the pages.”
—James M. Tabor, author of Blind Descent and The Deep Zone

“The Belonger is a romantic fiction set on the beautiful, tranquil Island of Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, before, during, and after a devastating hurricane. The author fills her story with such intrigue, emotional intensity, and freshness, drizzled with good-natured, hilarious banter and colorful descriptions throughout. An entertaining read that I recommend to anyone who loves the islands and enjoys relaxing in the sun with a cool drink and a good book.”
—Debby-Lee V. Smith Mills, coauthor of Things Mummy Used to Say

“The Belonger is a satisfying journey full of rich, realistic characters whose plights and challenges have you cheering for them as if they were family. Mehuron's crisp, descriptive writing draws you in and leaves you with memories so real you might just find sand in your toes.”
—Marley Gibson, best-selling author of The Ghost Huntress series and Radiate

As the author of the nonfiction book Take Me Back: An Anecdotal History of the Mad River Valley:

By Mike Noble

Only after I had moved to the Mad River Valley did it begin to dawn on me what a unique place this is. It’s partly the topography, but it’s really the unique set of people who have chosen to live here, enjoying The Valley’s recreation, business opportunities and social life.

Mary Kathleen Mehuron’s new book, “Take Me Back,” is a valentine to The Valley’s history since the ski slopes appeared. Stories of The Valley’s entrepreneurs, characters, residents, and visitors, famous and infamous, past and present, are thankfully recorded for posterity in book form.

The numerous photographs and illustrations of people and places many will recognize are reproduced on a heavy paper stock reminiscent of a coffee table book. This is a good thing, since the pages will be revisited over and over again.

The Warren Fourth of July parade, the Snuggery, the evolution of Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, the Bluetooth, Wood and Wood, The Warren Store – “Take Me Back” should be required reading for all newcomers. 

You can open to any page, go forward or back -- it won’t matter. It’s all enjoyable -- kind of like ambling around in The Valley itself.

And this book is as local as it can get. Its source material, text, photographs, illustrations, design and funding were all provided locally. Production was largely done by volunteers.

I was introduced to a wide range of wonderful people, locals and transplants, who mostly shared one trait: living life out of the box in an area they passionately love.

And I heard stories. So many stories. Some heartwarming, some hilarious, and others wild and improbable, but true. All of them confirmed that the Mad River Valley is truly special.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will support Valley organizations and initiatives. Overseen by a new nonprofit -- Take Me Back -- it has a mission to, “create products that raise awareness of and money for organizations in the Mad River Valley that want to showcase our history.” The book launch is June 21, 2023m at Lawson’s Finest in Waitsfield, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Readers can buy the book by emailing marykathleenmehuron@gmail.com

A special book for a special valley.

As a teacher:

"Kathy Mehuron is one of the most memorable math teachers I have ever had the honor of being taught by. She makes learning a fun and a hands-on experience. Not only is she incredibly bright, but her personality and love for her students makes her an extraordinary human being. It is such a privilege and honor to say that I was one of her students."
—Emmy Mumford, College student

"Kathy is a master teacher whose dedication to her students is unparalleled.  Kathy has a deep appreciation and commitment to the learning process particularly as it unfolds for the middle school student.  Not only does she go to great lengths to support her students’ learning, but Kathy is herself a life-long learner.  Committed to developing best practices for student learning, Kathy eagerly explores new teaching methodologies and regularly attends professional development workshops. Kathy’s knowledge of the Vermont Framework of Standards and National Core Standards, as well as her ongoing quest to discover new instructional strategies, informs her teaching and is reflective of her commitment to support students of different abilities.  What is more, Kathy is a team player and loves to share her discoveries; consequently, she has proven herself to be a pivotal member of our math department."
—Alice Rodgers, Former head of academics at Green Mountain Valley School and now colleague at Aspire Learning Communuty

"You were an amazing educational guide for our children. As you know, The Friedman kids are huge fans of yours and so loved having you as a teacher. Thank you for cheering them both on and being so great with them!"
—Kitty Friedman, Parent

"Thank you for hooking me into math back in 7th grade with your awesome teaching style and meaningful projects!" 
—Sam Gavett, Engineering student

"What impresses me most about Kathy is her ability to create a challenging classroom environment that invites students to be actively involved in their own learning.  Acutely aware that each child learns differently, Kathy carefully crafts interactive assignments that encourage students to reach for their potential.  Whether it is the use of online math games such as Mangahigh or providing one-on-one tutorials, Kathy provides ample opportunity for differentiated learning that culminates in mastery.  Most importantly, she fosters in her students a love of math because her imaginative projects demand that they apply mathematical concepts contextually.  For example, Kathy engaged her 7th grade students in a two week ski area mapping project.  Students were challenged to create a ski area with a pre-established percentage of beginner trails, intermediate trails, and expert trails. Students had to establish the difficulty of a trail by creating equations that calculated slope.  What an imaginative exercise designed to capture the imagination of students who were all ski racers!  By making math relevant, Kathy enticed the students to engage in difficult problem solving.  Because Kathy believes in students constructing their own learning, her classroom is alive with energy, student participation, and genuine interest."
—Jen Robillard

"Kathy Mehuron is a passionate, intelligent, and dedicated professional.  Not only does she love math, but she is devoted to her students. Kathy is committed to the quality of her own work and contributions, but also to the quality of any educational team for which she shares responsibility.  That commitment is evident in her reliability and in her eagerness to suggest new and better ways of educating youth.  In short, Kathy is an outstanding educator. I highly recommend Kathy Mehuron as a math teacher to any program in any location. I am sure she would be just as effective with a different population as she is with our motivated ski racers. I would be happy to discuss her qualifications with you.  Please feel free to contact me if you’d like further information.""
—Jennifer Ball, Grade 7 program director at Green Mountain Valley School

Thank you for all you do for our son. We so appreciated your flexibility and devotion to customizing your classes and schedule to suit his needs. We are so grateful for your continued commitment and unwavering support!
—Bridgitte Ritchie, Parent

"You are an amazing teacher. I have learned so much from you this year. I cannot wait to work with you again."
—Lydia, 7th grade student

"Thank you so much for being my teacher. I learned so much from you and your class was so much fun!" 
—Lyndsey, 7th grade student

"Thank you so much for taking the time to understand my children in order to teach them. It means a lot…It is so important to have someone like you who is enthusiastic about math and a skilled teacher…I’m so grateful for the extra time and effort that you put in… thanks for all you do.”
—Dr. Anne Kubik, Parent of four who all had Kathy as a teacher