Katerina Katsarka Whitley

Katerina Katsarka Whitley holds a deep and enduring connection to her Greek heritage, shaped by her homeland’s language, culture, and Orthodox Christian faith. Though she has lived most of her life in the United States, her identity remains firmly tied to these origins. Raised during the Nazi occupation of Greece and having lost her mother at a young age, Katerina’s early experiences shaped her thirst for learning and her hunger for the Divine. At just 16, she left Greece on a scholarship to study in North Carolina, where she nurtured her passions for music, language, and later, theology.

She eventually settled in a small North Carolina town, raising two daughters and teaching people of all ages. After her children finished school, she spent two decades as a journalist for the Episcopal Church, reporting on resilient individuals across the globe. Later, in the North Carolina mountains, she wrote books centered on biblical women, taught at Appalachian State University, and traveled to speak and preach. Now a widow, she continues mentoring writers and teaching others how to engage with the Bible in meaningful ways. Her eight published books include biblical reflections, a Greek cookbook, a historical novel, and a memoir of her childhood during the war.