Mary Ellen Barnes

A desert rat, I am a native of Tucson, AZ. I earned my B.A. from Chapman College in Los Angeles, CA (now Chapman University in Orange, CA) and taught in California secondary schools.

My book, "Forged by Fire: The Devastation and Renewal of a Mountain Community," was named one of the Southwest's top ten books in 2005.

"The Road to Mount Lemmon: A Father, A Family, and the Making of Summerhaven," was one of six finalists in the statewide literacy program, ONEBOOKAZ 2010, and received Notable Mention in the Southwest's top ten books of 2009.

"Teresa and the Cowboy: Un Cuento de Amor Tucsonense," is a powerful love story and compelling mystery set in 1891 Territorial Tucson, a town that blends Spanish and Anglo traditions.

"Peregrine" Frances Latham, daughter of gentry, mother of governors, was a woman of indomitable spirit who lived in 17th-Century England and Colonial America.