L. F. Olson grew up in a large family on a farm in Minnesota, the tenth of eleven children. She was born with a birth defect—a short left arm and half a thumb and no fingers on her...view moreL. F. Olson grew up in a large family on a farm in Minnesota, the tenth of eleven children. She was born with a birth defect—a short left arm and half a thumb and no fingers on her left hand—but her brothers and sisters helped her adapt. She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.view less