author
Helga Sandburg
1918–2014
A versatile American writer who moved easily between poetry, novels, memoir, and children's books, she brought warmth, clarity, and a deep love of animals to her work. As the youngest daughter of Carl Sandburg, she also became an important keeper of her family's literary story.
1 Audiobook
The wheel of earth
by Helga Sandburg
About the author
Born in Maywood, Illinois, on November 24, 1918, she was the youngest of the three daughters of poet Carl Sandburg. The Library of Congress notes that she wrote 17 books, including The Wheel of Earth (1958), Joel and the Wild Goose (1963), and The Age of the Flower (1994), working across fiction, poetry, memoir, and children's literature.
Her life and writing were closely shaped by family, landscape, and animals. The National Park Service and other reference sources describe a career that included novels, memoirs, children's books, a music book, and several volumes of poetry, while her children's writing is often remembered for its affection for animals and the natural world.
She died on January 26, 2014, at her home near Cleveland, Ohio, at age 95. She is also remembered for writing about her parents, including A Great and Glorious Romance, her account of Carl Sandburg and Lilian Steichen Sandburg.