Ann Rinaldi

Ann Rinaldi – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Ann Rinaldi (August 27, 1934 – July 1, 2021) was an acclaimed American author of young adult historical fiction. Discover her life story, writing journey, signature works, and notable quotations.

Introduction

Ann Rinaldi was a pioneer in bringing U.S. history alive for young readers. Through meticulous research and empathetic storytelling, she transformed pivotal moments — the American Revolution, the Salem witch trials, the Civil War, slavery, and more — into personal journeys seen through the eyes of young protagonists. Her works bridged the gap between historical record and emotional truth, engaging generations of readers in America’s past.

Over her lifetime, she wrote more than forty historical novels for young adults, many of which have become staples in school reading lists. Her influence lies not just in the quantity of her work, but the way she used narrative to humanize historical events.

Early Life and Family

Ann (née Feis) Rinaldi was born on August 27, 1934 in New York City. New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she attended St. Peter’s High School, graduating in 1952.

Her childhood was not always easy: Rinaldi reportedly had a strained relationship with her stepmother. secretarial school, working in typing pools and regular jobs.

In 1960 she married Ronald Rinaldi and they settled in Branchburg, New Jersey, raising two children.

Transition to Writing & Journalism

Rinaldi’s first foray into professional writing was in journalism. Beginning in 1969, she wrote a weekly column for the Somerset Messenger Gazette. The Trentonian newspaper, writing two columns a week, later advancing to feature and editorial work. New Jersey Press Association (1978 and 1989).

She maintained her journalistic work even after her first novels were published. In 1991, she left her newspaper career to focus full-time on writing novels.

Literary Career & Major Works

Early Novels and Shift to Historical Fiction

Rinaldi’s first published novel was Term Paper (1980). Promises Are for Keeping (1982).

Her shift toward historical fiction began later, spurred by her children’s interest in historical reenactments. Her son’s passion for American history led the family to visit battlefields and historic sites, inspiring her to set stories in past eras. Time Enough for Drums (1986), set during the Revolutionary period.

Notable Works

Some of Rinaldi’s most celebrated novels include:

• A Break with Charity (1992) — exploring the Salem witch trials through the eyes of a young girl in the town.

• The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre (1993) — told via a teenage indentured servant serving John and Abigail Adams.

• Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley (1996) — about the first published African American female poet, Phillis Wheatley.

• Numbering All the Bones (2002) — set in the Civil War period, delving into themes of war and identity.

• The Coffin Quilt: The Feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys — set in Kentucky/West Virginia, through the eyes of a young woman in the McCoy family.

• My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl (1999) — part of the Dear America series; the diary of a Lakota girl in a government boarding school.

• The Redheaded Princess (2008) — depicting Elizabeth I from childhood to ascension.

In total, Rinaldi published over forty novels. ALA Best Books for Young Adults.

Her novel Wolf by the Ears (1991) was later named one of the best novels of the prior 25 years (and then 100 years) by library reviewers.

Themes, Style & Influence

• Female perspective in historic contexts
  Many of her protagonists are adolescent or young adult girls navigating major historical upheavals. This choice gives a grounded, emotional entry into broad events.

• Meticulous research + imaginative detail
  Rinaldi is praised for detailed settings and a balance of fact and emotional insight.

• Moral complexity
  Her stories often explore difficult choices—loyalty vs. justice, family bonds vs. personal conscience, complicity and resistance.

• Bringing history to life
  She made lesser-known aspects of American history (e.g. women’s roles, slavery, regional conflicts) accessible to young readers, helping cultivate historical interest.

Personality & Life Later Years

Rinaldi was known to be family-oriented, valuing her relationships with children and her long marriage. Her editor Karen Grove recalled that beyond historical settings, “the importance she placed on family relationships is evident in her writing.”

She continued to lecture in schools and at educational conferences, bringing her approach to history and literature to wider audiences.

Ann Rinaldi passed away on July 1, 2021 in Branchburg, New Jersey at the age of 86.

Memorable Quotes

Ann Rinaldi’s work is more known for narratives than standalone aphorisms, but here are a few notable lines attributed to her:

“A person doesn’t ask permission to fall in love; not even of themselves.”
— In My Father’s House

“Love is like light and there are two kinds, the bursting fireworks of the moment and the solid, fixed stars that sometimes become obscured in the heavens, but are always there, year after year, for a lifetime.”
— In My Father’s House

“I didn’t know how to say goodbye. Words were stupid. They said so little. Yet they opened up holes you could fall into and never climb out of again.”
— A Stitch in Time

These lines reflect her sensitivity to emotion, relationships, and internal experience—all of which underscored her historical storytelling.

Lessons from Ann Rinaldi

1. Use history as a mirror to the present
   Though set in the past, her stories often explore universal dilemmas—identity, justice, courage—that resonate today.

2. Center human stories in grand events
   By focusing on everyday people (often young women) in times of upheaval, she makes history accessible and moving.

3. Persist despite obstacles
   Rinaldi’s path—from typing pools and suppressed ambition, to journalism, to a late start in fiction—shows how perseverance and passion can overcome circumstances.

4. Combine personal insight with research
   Her emotional intelligence paired with factual rigor is a model for writing that educates and engages.

5. Lifelong evolution
   She moved from journalism to fictional storytelling, from contemporary to historical genres, always adapting and deepening her craft.

Conclusion

Ann Rinaldi left a remarkable legacy in young adult literature. Through her historical novels, she opened windows into the past while illuminating the emotional truths that bind human experience across time. Her work encourages young readers not only to learn history, but to feel it—to see the lives behind the dates and events.