Diane Helentjaris, a native of Dayton, Ohio, spent the middle years of her career as a clinical physician and public health administrator before returning to her humanities roots. She earned her BA cum laude in Interdisciplinary Humanities and MD in Human Medicine from Michigan State University and her Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan. She writes regularly, human interest stories for regional magazines, is the author of The Indenture of Ivy O'Neill, and often writes about overlooked, unsung lives. She lives in Leesburg, Virginia with her husband and son and two ridiculous miniature poodles.
"""Infused with wry humor, this book is both thought-provoking and a genuinely fun read - a look into rarely-seen corners of American history and a rousing chronicle of a fearless life."" - Kasey Eichensehr, Senior Curator, Clark County (Ohio) Historical Society ""In engaging prose, the incredible story of Lulu Bell Parr is recounted in this extraordinary book. Every word captures the essence of her life story. From the prologue to the epilogue, I was swept up by her astonishing adventures."" - Sheila Sparks Ralph, PhD, RN, FAAN. ""This is a journey well worth taking and a book you won't be able to put down."" - Laura E. Christiansen, Curator of Manuscripts and Archives, Thomas Balch Library ""Diane Helentjaris has done an excellent job of bringing to life a long-lost part of American history when the West was still wild. We've all heard of Buffalo Bill, but Lulu Bell Parr steals this show-a strong woman in a man's world."" - John DeDakis, novelist and writing coach."