The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man

Charlie White (1905-2014) is the subject of Von Drehle’s biography. White was raised in Kansas City where his father, formerly a pastor, worked as a life insurance salesman before his death in an elevator accident. This left an eight-year-old White as the “man of the house” (35). His mother encouraged him to help her and his big sisters around the home.

As a teen, White adventured across America by car with two friends and train-hopped home to Kansas City, where he went on to study medicine in college. He attended Northwestern Medical School in Chicago, and then moved back to Kansas City to begin his practice as a doctor.

Von Drehle explains that he chose White, one of his neighbors in his Kansas City neighborhood, as his subject because he was fascinated by how he had not only lived, but lived well, for over 100 years. As Von Drehle learned more about White’s life, he was inspired by his friend’s continual optimism, and the bold initiative he showed in creating opportunities for himself. In his work, Von Drehle presents White as a role model to the reader, emphasizing his ability to see the positive potential in any situation, and ignore negative events which are beyond his control.

Laura White was Charlie White’s mother. She raised him and his elder sisters on her own after her husband’s death. Von Drehle characterizes White as a resilient and hard-working woman who relied on her own ingenuity as a widow in early 20th-century America. Von Drehle credits White’s parenting with helping her son develop competence and self-confidence, traits which helped him navigate the challenges of coming of age, training as a doctor, and working throughout the Depression. Von Drehle explains: “Laura White cultivated her son’s confidence in ways large and small” (35). She allowed a young Charlie to make his own decisions, helping him develop a sense of control over his actions, and also doled out many responsibilities. White himself recalled: “Mother put the responsibility of life on me at an early age […] There were no restraints really. You succeeded or failed by your own ability” (35).