Barbara Willard is best known as the author of the Mantlemass series of historical novels, but in the course of writing more than fifty books for children she successfully explored a rich variety of fiction. She had the ability to create unique and complex characters in a subtle and economical manner, and her books are notable for their vividly rendered settings, conveyed without overly extensive description. The common thread running through Willard's writing concerns interactions between family members and often among many families within one community. Her most memorable characters are strong willed but far from perfect. Learning and growing because of their mistakes, Willard's characters remain real and important to the reader through both their triumphs and failures.

Born in Sussex on 12 March 1909, Barbara Willard grew up with a strong interest in the theater, since her father was a fairly well-known stage actor. Her love of theater...