Historical novelist Jeanne Gehret is fueled by curiosity. Perhaps that’s because she began her writing career as a freelancer specializing in education, the humanities, and profiles of notable people. Every time she began a story, she made sure to answer all the important questions: “Who, what, when, where, and why?”
In 1988, her feature article on dyslexia touched a nerve in American parents that resulted in a viral response. This motivated her to write and publish her first children’s books, which quickly became international bestsellers.
It was a heady time. Speaking invitations began to pour in. Books flew out of the dining room shipping area to all parts of the English-speaking world. She advocated with compassion and insight for children who learn differently, earning this accolade:
“Jeanne Gehret pulls the stinger and heals the sore spot.”
Three more books on neurodivergent kids resulted. Her two young children thrived.
Jeanne dressed as Susan B. Anthony.
A change of pace
Then she burned out. For a diversion to occupy her while regaining strength, she visited the Susan B. Anthony House Museum and gave tours there. Within a few months she penned the manuscript for a children’s biography of the famous American abolitionist. Dozens of gigs as a writer-in-residence presented themselves after she began portraying Susan in costume.
A newfound passion
While re-enacting Susan in Kansas, Jeanne discovered Susan’s brother Daniel and his wife, Annie Osborn Anthony.
She soon became obsessed with studying this fascinating couple, and it wasn’t long before she began writing about them. With an age gap of 20 years and contrasting cultures—he a rabid abolitionist from Kansas, and she a wealthy heiress from Martha’s Vineyard—Daniel and Annie came together to wholeheartedly embrace the women’s suffrage platform of Daniel’s sister Susan B. Anthony. Together, they weathered scandals and bitter political rivalries that resulted in serious opposition and death-defying injuries, challenging their marriage and their very souls.
Twice Jeanne returned to Kansas, both to visit cousins and to soak in the sights where her characters lived and worked. Their friends, habits, and lifestyle on the Missouri River became real to her.
Other pastimes
As a devoted gardener, Jeanne has joined her husband in restoring many neglected landscapes, including a walled Japanese garden. Daily meditation gives her insight and helps to focus her ADHD brain. Several times a year you’ll find her decked out in eighteenth-century style at English country dances. She delights in shopping estate sales for things she doesn’t need, like hats.
Jeanne is a besotted grandmother. Her secret wish is that her beloved little boys would take over all her technical challenges. This would not only give her more time to write but would erase the frown lines between her eyes.
Jeanne’s Author Philosophy
Jeanne hopes her readers experience:
- The grit and glory of early Kansas
- Immersion in the American Victorian period, with its emerging technology, ideals, customs, and textures
- A behind-the-curtain experience of two of nineteenth-century America’s most controversial icons
Most importantly, she wants you to meet people who challenge you, inspire you, make you think, and keep you on the edge of their seat. May you resonate with their difficulties and rejoice in their tender moments. And may they become as real to you as they are to Jeanne, and to the many people their lives have influenced.
