Author Margie McCartney’s debut book includes chapter on her early life in Pelham

By Leila Brady, Staff Reporter|August 25, 2021

Author Margie McCartney (left) and her mother Joan, who still lives in Pelham Manor.

Pelham native Margie McCartney is about to publish her first book “And Then… Networking Lessons from an Extraordinary Life Still in Progress” documenting the connections she has made throughout her life. The first chapter of the book, simply titled “10803,” is a self-proclaimed “love letter” to Pelham and goes into detail on McCartney’s childhood in the town.

McCartney was in the Pelham Memorial High School graduating class of 1979 and has been a proud Pelican her whole life.

“When I was a senior, they were trying to change our mascot to the Pelham Patriots, but I was part of the team that led the charge to keep it the Pelicans,” McCartney said.

Her love of the town is evident when she talks about her childhood, with tales of serene, park-like neighborhoods and walking to Prospect Hill. “There was a tree that had leaves that looked like mittens, and I loved collecting the chestnuts that were around the Manor Club,” she said. “Things like that made my walk to school more interesting.” She was also active at PMHS on both the softball and volleyball squads as well as being captain of the cheerleaders in 1979.

McCartney has lived in Chicago for more than 30 years, working in the travel and hospitality industry. When she wanted to add to her resume and thought about going into public speaking, she was advised to first write a book. “My whole life, everyone told me to write a book,” she said. “I thought, ‘If I don’t do it now, I’m never gonna do it.’ I’m not a rocket scientist or anything. All I know is what I have learned in life. So I wrote about that.”

At the core of her book’s themes are relationships, and the first chapter’s most prevalent one is her bond with her parents Chuck and Joan. “I always thought Mom was the mayor. You could offer her a house anywhere in the world, and she’d say, ‘I’d rather be in Pelham.’” McCartney regularly flies from Chicago to visit her 92-year-old mother, a lifelong resident of Pelham who still lives on the 18th hole of the Pelham Country Club.

McCartney’s first book will be available on Amazon on Sept. 24.