Isabelle Holland

Who was Isabelle Holland?

Isabelle Christian Holland was an American author of fiction for children and adults. She wrote gothic novels, adult mysteries, romantic thrillers and many books for children and young adults.

Holland was born in Basel, Switzerland. She attended Tulane University and also was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Her father was the American Consul in Liverpool, England during WWII. She moved to the U.S. in 1940 due to the war. She wrote over 50 books and was still working at the time of her death at age 81 in New York City.

Holland's books for children and young adults tackled a variety of difficult and/or controversial topics—death, rape, incest, teen pregnancy, sexual abuse, and homosexuality. Reoccurring themes in her books for adults and children include the ravages of alcoholism on families, and the healing and redemptive power of animals.

Her literary archives are in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi and the Kerlan Collection of Children's Literature at the University of Minnesota.

Two of her novels have been made into movies:

Bump in the Night

The Man Without a Face

Both these novels deal with issues or allegations of pedophilia.