About
Anne Ipsen
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About the Author
I was born in Denmark and my memoirs draw on my childhood there and my youth as a teenage immigrant to the US. My parents and I lived in Copenhagen during the German occupation of the Second World War. Afterwards, we traveled in the USA, finally settling in Boston, where I was graduated from Radcliffe College and eventually received a doctorate from Harvard University.
My first memoir, A Child's Tapestry of War--Denmark 1940-45 is based on my experiences during the German occupation. I was five years old when the war started and ten when it ended. Thanks to a quirky memory, I remember much of that peculiar childhood and the unusual circumstances of occupied Denmark. Working on this memoir made me realize that I wanted be a writer.
In the sequel, Teenage Immigrant, I described the joys and sorrows of being an adolescent trying to adjust to a new and different society. This story first appeared in The Bridge, a publication of the Danish American Heritage Society.
My first novel, Karen from the Mill, reflects my love of history and historical fiction. Karen lives on the island of Fanø in 1874 and although she and all the other main characters in the book are entirely from my imagination, I have tried to describe life on this magical but real Danish island of sand and sea as accurately as possible.
I am currently working on two projects: a sequel to Karen that takes place in Minnesota in the 1890's and another historical novel, this time about the Puritans of seventeenth-century New England.
I enjoy talking to people of all ages about my work, including the background and history of the places about which I write. Watch my home page for upcoming talks and book signings or click here to send me a message.
For many years, before deciding to become a full-time writer, I was a professor at the University of Minnesota. My husband and I have recently returned to the Boston area, the home of my youth. We have three grown children and three grandchildren.