Jenny Pattrick is an acclaimed historical novelist, whose The Denniston Rose (2005), and its sequel Heart of Coal (2005) are two of New Zealand’s biggest-selling novels. They have also been republished in an illustrated edition. Pattrick was born and raised in Wellington. She trained and worked as a teacher before becoming a mother in 1963. In 1969 Pattrick began her career as a jeweller. Pattrick has written intermittently since 1959, but has been a full-time writer since 1993. She has written fiction for print and radio. With her musician husband, Laughton Pattrick, she has written several songs and musical shows for children.

Her songbooks include Songs for Seasons (Seaview Press, 2000), On our Street (Seaview, 2001) and The Farm at the End of the Road (Seaview, 2002).

Her works the Whanganui novel Landings, and Inheritance, set in Samoa, which, along with all her adult titles, have been number one bestsellers in New Zealand. Other titles include Catching the Current (2005), In Touch with Grace (2006), and Skylark (2012). In 2009 she received the New Zealand Post Mansfield Fellowship and has been awarded the OBE for services to the arts.

Identified by Nicky Pellegrino as ‘one of this country’s most talented storytellers’, it has been said that she creates ‘an authentic stage for a cast of characters who interact in ways that always ring true’ (The Christchurch Press). Reviewing Landings, Graham Beattie concluded: ‘It is not surprising that she is one of NZ’s most popular contemporary novelists and this fine piece of historical fiction will further enhance that well-deserved reputation.’