1985 Norwich Native Daughter author Dr. Nellie Beetham attended Norwich Free Academy, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from Duke University. Upon graduation, she worked for the U.S. Forest Service in California as a botanist for eight years. Between 1966 and 1972, she worked as a botanist and ecologist for the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nev. The next two decades saw her working for the School of Forestry at the University of Montana as a professor of forest ecology.
She has published books in a wide range of genres, including ones on Irish-English history like “Brothers 4,” “Edward’s Right Hand,” and “Rolf “The Red” MacCanna.” In addition, she also paints the cover art for all of her books. Her series, “The Napoleonic Wars at Sea” consists of nine books that chronicle the life of Benjamin Rundel, an orphan who rises through the ranks to become a port admiral in the British Navy. She also penned a Christmas series, which currently consists of three books, as well as individual books such as “Oak Island, The Knights of Oak,” “Mediterranean Madness,” and “So You Want to Build a Little Log Cabin in the Woods.”