Mary Helen Dohan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but lived most of her life in New Orleans,
Louisiana. She attended Sacred Heart Academy in New Orleans and Newcomb College,
where she received a B.A. in English. She earned an M.A. in English from Tulane
University, holding the Robert Sharp fellowship. She was also an instructor in
English at Newcomb College.
Ms. Dohan's articles, principally on language and history, and an occasional short story of
hers, have appeared over the years in numerous publications, including
American Education, Smithsonian, Rotarian, Texas Highways,
Redbook, and Ambassador. She has also given talks before various
groups and acted as guest lecturer aboard the steamboats Delta Queen and
Mississippi Queen.
Mr. Roosevelt's Steamboat is a fictionalized account of
the historic voyage that opened the Mississippi River to steam power. The family
of Nicholas Roosevelt, the owner, made this first exciting trip, living through
attacks by pirates and, perhaps, the greatest earthquake ever to hit North
America. Ms. Dohan successfully combines a thorough investigation of history and
first-hand accounts of events past with a dramatic narrative to produce what
Waterway's Journal calls a “well researched, vividly told” book.
Ms. Dohan now resides in Houston, Texas.
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