She penned Time Enough for Drums and saw rejection after rejection because publishers didn't believe children would read about history. As her children began exploring the world of Revolutionary War reenactments, Rinaldi gained knowledge and details for many historical fiction books. Term Paper became Rinaldi's first published book. Upon its completion, Rinaldi realized she could expand it into a young adult novel, which she did before sending it off to a publisher. Her columns grew to be syndicated and read all over the state of New Jersey, and Rinaldi ventured into writing feature stories and soft news reports.Īlso interested in poetry and fiction while she learned the newspaper business, Rinaldi studiously spent time penning a short story. This success continued as she then acquired two more columns for the Trentonian Daily. Four unpublished novels later she decided she needed experience and requested a weekly column for a local newspaper. After bringing two children into this world, Rinaldi ventured into a career as a novelist. His calmness in her crazy world attracted Rinaldi who needed stability after her upbringing. Rinaldi survived one typing pool and then another before she met her future husband. A newspaper manager himself, her father refused to allow her to attend college and directed her into secretarial work.

Rinaldi experienced a rough time growing up as she had tendencies toward writing and her father dissuaded them. Years later her father reclaimed his young daughter, taking her to reside in New Jersey with her four brothers and sisters and a new step-mother. Tragically, her mother died shortly thereafter, and for a period of time, Rinaldi lived with her doting aunt, uncle, and cousins. A New Yorker by birth, Rinaldi was born on August 27, 1934.

The staircase by ann rinaldi