J ane Gilmore Rushing was born November 15, 1925 in Pyron, Texas and raised in rural west Texas, the setting for most of her books. This intimate knowledge of life in a small, rural community is evident as she weaves the social structure, customs, mores, distrust of outsiders, and closeness of a small town into her books. Rushing incorporates stories told by older members of her family and community into her fiction. In addition to being an author, Jane Rushing has been a journalist and a teacher.