Lynn Morris, daughter of popular historical novelist Gilbert Morris, is a recognized and talented writer in her own right. The first novel in this eight-book series was originally published in 1994, and it was an immediate bestseller (nearly half-a million combined sales of the eight novels in the series). The author's careful background explorations of the historical setting, the medical customs of the late 1800s, and the training institutions finally being opened to women, make for intriguing plots and dramatic tensions for the memorable character of Cheney Duvall. Lynn has a grown daughter and lives near her parents in Alabama.