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Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell
	; Mary Doria Russell speaking at a conference of the American Library Association in Philadelphia in January, 2008
Born	1950;
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	United States
Genres	Historical fiction
	[Mary Doria Russell Official website]

For other persons named Mary Russell, see Mary Russell (disambiguation).

Mary Doria Russell (born 1950) is an American novelist.

[edit] Biography

Russell was born in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military: her father was a Marine Corps drill instructor, and her mother was a Navy nurse. She graduated from Glenbard East High School and later she earned a Ph.D in biological anthropology at the University of Michigan.

Russell currently lives in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, with her husband, Don. They have a college-age son, Dan.

[edit] Writing career

Two of Russell's novels — The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God — explore one of science fiction's oldest concepts: first contact with aliens. Within the framework of the two works, she also explores how one can reconcile the idea of a benevolent deity in a universe filled with pain and evil.

Russell's third novel, A Thread of Grace, tells a fictional story within the fact-based setting of the Resistance in Italy during World War II and the plight of Jewish refugees in Northern Italy escaping from Nazi persecution throughout Europe. During the Nazi occupation of their country, many real Italian citizens allowed Jewish refugees to seek safe harbour among their farmlands, cities, and ports. Although a work of fiction, much of story is based on accounts of actual survivors from this period. Russell herself is of Italian heritage and is also a convert to Judaism.^[1]

Russell's fourth novel, Dreamers of the Day (released in March 2008), revolves around the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference, which laid the foundations for the modern Middle East.

She is currently working on a fifth novel, a Western (and murder mystery) featuring Doc Holliday and company entitled 8 to 5, Against. It is currently set for release sometime in 2010.

[edit] Books

The Sparrow (1996)
Children of God (1998)
A Thread of Grace (2005)
Dreamers of the Day, Random House, 2008. ISBN 1-4000-6471-6
8 to 5, Against (coming soon)

[edit] Awards

Nominations

Hugo Award
Book of the Month Club Best First Fiction Prize

[edit] See also

Giordano Bruno, the Italian philosopher for whom the interstellar ship in Children of God is named.

[edit] References

^ ""A Talk with Mary Doria Russell"". BookBrowse. http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1096. Retrieved 2007-03-19.

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mary Doria Russell

Mary Doria Russell's personal website
Radio interview of Mary Doria Russell discussing Dreamers of the Day and more, with Richard Wolinsky on KPFA's Cover to Cover (April 10, 2008)
Public radio interview of Mary Doria Russell and NPR book reviewer Alan Cheuse discussing historical fiction.
WorldCat Identities Page

[BookBrowse-0] ""A Talk with Mary Doria Russell"". BookBrowse. http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1096. Retrieved 2007-03-19.

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