Kate Lehrer

Kate Lehrer (born Kate Tom Staples; December 17, 1939) is an American writer, novelist and book reviewer from Washington, D.C., and a panelist on the Diane Rehm Book Club on National Public Radio. She is the widow of fellow writer and journalist Jim Lehrer.

Kate Lehrer
Born	Kate Tom Staples (1939-12-17) December 17, 1939 (age 85) Waco, Texas, US
Occupation	Novelist book reviewer writer
Alma mater	Texas Christian University
Spouse	Jim Lehrer ​ ​ (m. 1960; died 2020)​
Children	3

Literary career

Lehrer has written four novels, as well as numerous short stories, essays, and book reviews. Her first novel, Best Intentions, was published in 1987.^[1] When They Took Away the Man in the Moon came out in 1993.^[2] Out of Eden, which won the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel, was published in 1996.^[3] Confessions of a Bigamist: A Novel, described by the Washington Post as whimsical and droll, was published in 2004.^[4]

Publishers Weekly describes Lehrer's writing style as intelligent and mannered.^[5] The Washington Post characterizes her work as fitting into “the burgeoning category of chicklit.”^[6]

In 2004, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by McDaniel College.^[7]

Personal life

Lehrer was born Kate Tom Staples in Waco, Texas, as the only child of Thomas Malcolm Staples, a county extension agent, and Lucy Joplin, a social worker.^[8] She attended Texas Christian University where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Kate was married to Jim Lehrer, the news anchor for the PBS NewsHour on PBS,^[8] from 1960 until his death in 2020. They had three children and six grandchildren.^[8]

Honors and awards

• Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel (1996)
• Honorary Doctor of Letters, McDaniel College (2004)