Review
“Holland packs her pages with action and historical detail. She remains in the front ranks of the genre along with Mary Stewart, Dorothy Dunnett, and the late Mary Renault.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“Prolific historical novelist Holland uses Nancy’s own letters as well as archival material to recreate the life of a pioneer woman who was a legend in her own time. . . . A vivid and engaging narrative.” —Publishers Weekly
“Holland [paints] an accurate and vibrant story of California as an emerging drama with one woman at the core. This is what a biography should be: a story that makes us feel we were there and wish we could have been Nancy Kelsey ourselves. Bravo Ms. Holland for bringing another nearly forgotten woman to three-dimensional life.” —RT Book Reviews
About the Author
Cecelia Holland was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1943 and started writing at the age of twelve. Starting with The Firedrake in 1966, she has published twenty-one independent historical novels covering periods from the middle of the first millennium CE up through parts of the early twentieth century, and from Egypt, through Russia, central Europe, Scandinavia, Great Britain, and Ireland to the West Coast of the United States. Most recently, she has completed a series of five novels set in the world of the Vikings, covering a period of about fifty years during the tenth century and following the adventures of Corban Loosestrife and his descendants. The hallmark of her style is a vivid re-creation of time, place, and character, all true to known facts. She is highly regarded for her attention to detail, her insight into the characters she has researched and portrayed, and her battle scenes, which are vividly rendered and powerfully described. Holland has also published two nonfiction historical/biographic works, two children’s novels, a contemporary novel, and a science fiction novel, as well as a number of historical essays.
Holland has three daughters. She lives in Fortuna, California, and, once a week, teaches a class in creative writing at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. Holland's personal website is www.thefiredrake.com.
