Katherine grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. She made a transition from teaching to writing in 1997, when Unplugged, an article describing how her family gave up television, was published in Homemaker magazine and reprinted in several editions of Reader’s Digest. Since then, she has shared her views on “intentional living” in her books, media appearances, and public and private presentations.

She values subtlety, simplicity, naturalness and stillness. Katherine sees life as a series of choices that either we make, or they are made for us. She believes it is easy to get lost in the clutter of everyday life through easy access to consumer goods and our ever-increasing pace of life. Her philosophy stresses we need not abandon our homes, jobs or friends to escape a crazy-making life in the fast lane, but rather we might learn to choose carefully what best reflects who we are and what matters most to us.

Katherine and her husband, Bob Unwin, enjoy living among the natural delights of Victoria on Vancouver Island. They are the parents of four children.