Sally Watson

Born in Seattle on January 28, 1924, Sally Watson grew up in the Pacific Northwest and later attended Reed College. She began writing fiction in the 1950s, and her work for younger readers became known for strong-willed girls, historical settings, and an inviting, story-first style.

In 1964 she moved to England, where she lived for about 24 years. That long stay helped shape much of her best-known work, especially her historical fiction connected to British history and royalty, including books in her English Family Tree sequence. She also wrote novels set in other periods and places, including ancient Egypt.

Watson died in 2022. Although many of her books went out of print for a time, readers continued to seek them out, and later reprints helped introduce a new generation to her adventurous, carefully researched stories.