Hester Burton is known primarily for her historical novels for young people, novels that focus on the lives of everyday people involved in extraordinary events in English history. They tend to deal with themes of social justice, encouraging the reader to make connections between past and present events. All of her writing is infused with a love of England--its people, its countryside, and its values. Burton's work has been generally well received by reviewers, and she was awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1964 for Time of Trial (1963).

Hester Wood-Hill was born 6 December 1913 in Beccles, on the Suffolk coast of England. Her parents were Henry G. and Amy Crowfoot Wood-Hill. Her father was a family doctor who served as the model for some of the most memorable characters in Burton's novels, including the idealistic old bookseller in Time of Trial. She was educated at Oxford, receiving an honors degree...