Rose Osterman Kleidon

Rose Kleidon, professor emeritus, might tell you she began writing 1836 as a child listening to tales of larger-than-life ancestors. What she discovered on her own led to the Immigrant Chronicles, an extraordinary account of 19th century immigration – dangerous, difficult, and thrilling journeys in the era before steamships and railroads.

A writer of historical fiction, short stories, poetry, and textbooks, Kleidon speaks at writers’ conferences and participates in historical writers’ associations. Her work won a WOW short story prize and has appeared in Haiku Journal and on vocal.media. She is the co-founder of a marketing communications firm, a sailor, gardener, weaver, grandmother, and storyteller exploring the intersection of history and fiction.

Her website, www.rosekleidon.com, reports on her writing and research into German immigration, children’s welfare, human rights, heritage plants and animals, and other aspects of pre-modern life. Book club discussion questions, reading suggestions, and recipes reside there, too.