Frances Temple was born in Virginia and raised in Virginia, France, and Vietnam. The Ramsay Scallop, her third book, is about our need for adventure and mobility, for putting ourselves out there with strangers, for trusting and listening. The story began to take shape along pilgrim pathways in northern Spain, fueled by history, anecdotes, letters, a fourteenth-century shepherd's testimony, and the ideas of today's pilgrims. Issues have echoed down the years: clean water, excellent conversation, risks welcomed, and the pursuit of a quiet heart. I discovered how powerful the pilgrimage tradition is through walking in Elenor's footsteps.

Over her illustrious career, Temple garnered numerous awards. FranceTaste of Salt A Tale of Modern Haiti, winner of the 1993 Jane Addams Children's Book Prize; Grab hands and Run, named one of the Best Books of 1993 by SchoolLibrary journal; and Tonight, by Sea, another story set in Haiti, are among her other critically regarded books for young people.