Helen Hemphill

Helen Hemphill
Born (1955-07-01) July 1, 1955
OccupationNovelist
EducationBelmont University (MA)
GenreChildren's literature & young adult literature
Notable works
  • Long Gone Daddy (2006)
  • Runaround (2007)
  • The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones (2008)

Helen Hemphill (born 1955)[1] is an American children's and young adult novelist. Her three novels, published from 2006 to 2008, are all set in the southern USA, but feature diverse characters: a preacher's son, a tomboy 11-year-old girl and a 19th-century cowboy.[2]

Biography

Hemphill earned her MA in English Literature from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee,[3] and worked for 20 years in advertising and public relations prior to her second career in teaching.[4]

Hemphill has written three novels, all published by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press. Her first book was Long Gone Daddy, published in 2006.[4] Set in 1970s Texas, the novel is about a teenage boy and his relationship with his preacher father following the death of his grandfather. Publishers Weekly describes it as an "impressive debut", with "laugh-out-loud scenes, a marvelous narrative voice, period details and appealingly quirky characterization".[5] Kirkus Reviews comments that the "wryly funny" work "relies a bit too much on hillbilly diction and unusual events", but concludes that Hemphill "is still a writer with promise".[6] A review in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy said the book "deals with some tough issues, but does so in a way that will connect with students 13 and up".[7] In 2007 it was featured in Books for the Teen Age published by the New York Public Library.[8]

Her next book, Runaround, was published in 2007. About a tomboy 11-year-old girl seeking romance in 1960s Kentucky, the novel led Kirkus Reviews to describe Hemphill as "a strong new voice in children's literature".[9] Publishers Weekly calls it an "often humorous coming-of-age novel" and praises the characterisation of the main character.[10]

Her third book, The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones, was published in 2008.[4] This historical fiction novel was inspired by the "dime novels" about "Deadwood Dick" written by Edward L. Wheeler and the autobiography of African American cowboy Nat Love.[2][11] The main character is a young 19th-century cowboy loosely based on Love.[2] Kirkus Reviews comments that the book's "adventures are nonstop", including "the excitement and danger of buffalo stampedes and river crossings".[12]

References

  1. ^ Fuller, Amy Elisabeth (2010). "Contemporary authors new revision series. Volume 205". Gale. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Felts, Susannah (3 December 2009). "Starting Over". Chapter 16. Humanities Tennessee. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  3. ^ "Belmont University - Master of Arts in English". Archived from the original on 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  4. ^ a b c "An Interview with Helen Hemphill". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  5. ^ "Long Gone Daddy by Helen Hemphill". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  6. ^ "LONG GONE DADDY". Kirkus Reviews. May 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  7. ^ Gillis, Bryan (Oct 2007). "Long Gone Daddy". Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51 (2): 185. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  8. ^ Books for the Teen Age (PDF). The New York Public Library. 2007. p. 8. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  9. ^ "RUNAROUND". Kirkus Reviews. February 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Runaround by Helen Hemphill". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  11. ^ "The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill". Semicolon. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  12. ^ "THE ADVENTUROUS DEEDS OF DEADWOOD JONES". Kirkus Reviews. October 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
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