Wilson, Diane Lee

views updated

Wilson, Diane Lee

Personal

Married; children: one daughter. Education: University of Iowa, B.A. (English, fine arts).

Addresses

Home—San Diego, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Career

Copywriter and novelist.

Awards, Honors

Best Book for Young Adults designation, American Library Association, and Silver Medal, Common Wealth Club of California, both 1999, both for I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade; Booklist Top Ten Black History Books for Youth selection, 2005, and Children's Book Council/National Council for the Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Book designation, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age inclusion, and Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Viction, Western Writers of America, all 2006, all for Black Storm Comin'.

Writings

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1998.

To Ride the Gods' Own Stallion, Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 2000.

Black Storm Comin', Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2005.

Firehorse, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2006.

Author's works have been translated into Dutch, Danish, and German.

Sidelights

Diane Lee Wilson's love affair with horses began at age three, and she grew up on Marguerite Henry's horse stories which include Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind. When Wilson reached adolescence, her parents gave her a horse of her own, thus allowing Wilson to live her dream of becoming an amateur competitor and horse trainer. She studied English and fine arts at the University of Iowa, but never seriously considered writing until she became a copywriter at an advertising agency. Her fiction debut came in 1998, with the critically praised I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, and other books have followed since.

Regarded as "no ordinary horse story" by a reviewer for Publishers Weekly, I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade is set in fourteenth-century Mongolia. Inspiration for the novel came when Wilson saw an article in a newspaper about the region that included a photograph of two Mongolian horses. The photograph sparked Wilson's interest, and her research into Mongolian's history and artifacts forms the backdrop of the novel. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade introduces Oyuna, a young girl who brings bad luck to her clan when her horse's hoof crushes her foot and disables her as a toddler. Despite her disability, Oyuna becomes a skilled equestrian and once she is old enough she attempts to redeem her family's good fortune by competing in her clan's annual horse race. In preparation, the girl trains and bonds with an unusual white mare, and finds that she is able to communicate with the creature. The relationship between Oyuna and the white mare is threatened when soldiers attempt to take the horse. In order to escape them, Oyuna disguises herself as a boy and joins Kublai Khan's army. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade is not a simplistic narrative; instead it is meandering and magical as it follows Oyuna through her many adventures. GraceAnne A. DeCandido, writing in Booklist, noted that the novel is "full of period detail," and, with its glossary of Mongolian words, "will appeal to those who love historical fantasy or horse stories."

Horses also figure prominently in Black Storm Comin', a novel set in 1860 on the eve of the U.S. Civil War. The protagonist of the novel is Colton Wescott, a twelve-year-old boy who is of mixed race: his father is white and his mother is a black former slave who has been given her freedom. The story begins as Colton and his family are heading west; when Colton's father abandons the family after accidentally shooting the boy, their future plans are derailed. Now left to financially support his ailing mother and two sisters, Colton joins the Pony Express. Black Storm Comin' follows the boy as he is charged with delivering vital mail, including letters that will affect the U.S. president and influence the oncoming war.

In writing Black Storm Comin', Wilson researched the U.S. Civil War era by following the historic Pony Express route, visiting museums, and reading journals, letters, and obituaries of the period. This in-depth research adds a realistic perspective to her work. In Kirkus Reviews a critic observed that the novel is "alive and immediate," calling Black Storm Comin' "an exciting story written with style." Frances Bradburn, reviewing the novel for Booklist, commented that "Wilson masterfully creates a multidimensional character in Colton," and concluded that "readers will absorb greater lessons as they become engrossed in the excitement, beauty and terror of Colton's journey to California and manhood."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April, 1998, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, p. 214; August,2002, Frances Bradburn, review of Black Storm Comin', p. 2023.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2002, review of Black Storm Comin', p. 693.

Publishers Weekly, May 4, 1998, review of I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, p. 214; June 29, 1988, Jennifer M. Brown, "Diane Lee Wilson," p. 28.