Wikipedia

Heather Terrell

Heather Benedict Terrell (born November 24, 1968)[2] is an American novelist and lawyer who writes some of her novels under the pen name Marie Benedict.[3]

Heather Terrell
At the 2013 Texas Book Festival
At the 2013 Texas Book Festival
BornHeather Marie Benedict[1]
(1968-11-24) November 24, 1968 (age 55)
Pen nameMarie Benedict
OccupationLawyer, novelist
NationalityAmerican
EducationBoston College (BA)
Boston University (JD)
GenreHistorical fiction novel
SpouseJim Terrell
Children2

Life and education

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Terrell attended and graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh. She then studied History and Art History at Boston College, where she graduated magna cum laude.[4] She then attended and graduated cum laude[4] from Boston University School of Law.[2]

Terrell lives in Pittsburgh with her husband Jim Terrell and their two children.

Career

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After graduating from Boston University School of Law, Terrell worked as a litigator for ten years, practicing in New York City at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Morrison & Foerster.

Terrell published her first novel, The Chrysalis, in 2007,[5] after which she left her work as a litigator and began writing full time. Terrell's "mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues."[6] Later in her career, Terrell began writing about women who were often overshadowed by the men in their lives, including Mileva Marić (The Other Einstein, 2016), Hedy Lamarr (The Only Woman in the Room, 2019), Clementine Churchill (Lady Clementine, 2020), Belle da Costa Greene (The Personal Librarian, 2021), and Rosalind Franklin (Her Hidden Genius, 2022). Terrell's novels have been translated into twenty-nine languages.

Selected texts

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The Only Woman in the Room (2019)

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The Only Woman in the Room, published in 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark, is a fictionalized biography of Hedy Lamarr. The book is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick.[7] In 2019, it received a space in Library Reads's Hall of Fame.[8]

Lady Clementine (2020)

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Lady Clementine, published January 7, 2020, by Sourcebooks Landmark, is a fictionalized biography of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill. The book received a starred review from Library Journal[9] and received a space in Library Reads's Hall of Fame.[8]

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie (2020)

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The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, published in 2020 by Sourcebooks Landmark, follows the disappearance of Agatha Christie in December 1926. The book was a New York Times[10] and USA Today bestseller.[11] In December 2020, Library Reads named Terrell a Hall of Fame author for the book.[8]

The Personal Librarian (2021)

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Main article: The Personal Librarian

The Personal Librarian, co-authored by Victoria Christopher Murray and published in 2021 by Berkley Books, is a fictionalized biography of Belle da Costa Greene's life as the personal librarian to J. P. Morgan and the first director of the Morgan Library & Museum.

The Personal Librarian received starred reviews from Booklist[12] and Library Journal,[13] as well as positive reviews from news outlets. Booklist named The Personal Librarian one of the top ten historical fiction novels of 2021.[14] It was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction the same year.[15]

Publications

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As Marie Benedict

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  • The Other Einstein (2016)
  • Carnegie's Maid (2018)
  • The Only Woman in the Room (2019)
  • Agent 355 (2020)
  • Lady Clementine (2020)
  • The Mystery of Mrs. Christie (2020)
  • The Personal Librarian, co-authored by Victoria Christopher Murray (2021)
  • Smoke Signal, co-authored by Kate Quinn (2021)
  • Her Hidden Genius (2022)

As Heather Terrell

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  • The Chrysalis: A Novel. Random House Publishing Group. 15 May 2007. ISBN 978-0-345-50029-8.
  • The Map Thief. Random House Publishing Group. April 2009. ISBN 978-0-345-49469-6.
  • Brigid of Kildare: A Novel. Random House Publishing Group. 9 February 2010. ISBN 978-0-345-51529-2.
  • Fallen Angel. HarperCollins. 28 December 2010. ISBN 978-0-06-203966-8.
  • Eternity. HarperCollins. 28 June 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-208447-7.
  • Relic. Soho Press. 2013. ISBN 9781616954390.
  • Boundary. Soho Press. 9 December 2014. ISBN 9781616951986.

Sources

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References

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  1. ^ WEDDINGS; Heather Benedict, James Terrell
  2. ^ a b Hubbell, Martindale (September 1998). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: New York (New York City, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island) Volume 13-1999. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561603244.
  3. ^ "About Marie Benedict". Marie Benedict. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b "About Heather". Heather Terrell. Archived from the original on 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  5. ^ Terrell, Heather (2007-05-15). The Chrysalis. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-345-50029-8.
  6. ^ "About Marie". MARIE BENEDICT. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  7. ^ "The Only Woman in the Room|Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  8. ^ a b c "Marie Benedict". LibraryReads. Archived from the original on 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  9. ^ O’Sullivan, Pamela (2019-11-01). "Lady Clementine". Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  10. ^ "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie". Kirkus Reviews. 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  11. ^ "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie". MARIE BENEDICT. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  12. ^ Seaman, Donna (2021-04-01). "The Personal Librarian". Booklist. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  13. ^ O’Sullivan, Pamela (2021-05-01). "The Personal Librarian". Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  14. ^ Seaman, Donna (2021-05-15). "Top 10 Historical Fiction: 2021". Booklist. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  15. ^ "The Personal Librarian". Goodreads. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
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