Rosalind Slater was born in Northern England where she spent her first 26 years. After marrying young, she emigrated to Canada with her husband and two small daughters. One year later, a third daughter was born. She received two degrees in Literature from the University of Guelph, Ontario and it was when she began research for her Master's thesis, studying the Condition of England Novels of Elizabeth Gaskell, that she became enthralled with her Northern roots and from where this her first novel was born. Her life since then has taken a circuitous route. She spent many years in a local theatre company as an actor and a director of many plays. More latterly, she took on the task of full-time caregiver to her husband when he was diagnosed with A.L.S. Since his death she has been reborn as a musician taking joyfully to playing flute, and as a writer. Now the wheel has turned full circle with this the publication of her long-awaited novel To Have and to Hold.