In 1875, Miss Cassandra Dunne was a well-regarded teacher in Boston, celebrated nearly as much for her scientific curiosity as for her outspoken beliefs on women's rights and the education of girls. Her classrooms brimmed with energy, chalk dust, and lively debate, but Cassandra's dreams were bigger than what the city's neighborhoods and privileged boys' schools could hold. She longed to bring knowledge to those who needed it most, to children whose futures had not already been secured by lineage and wealth.For months, she pondered her next steps in the dim light of her tiny rented room, the ink pot on her desk slowly draining as she penned applications to schools in distant territories. Her friends tutted at her ambitions and her father, a clockmaker, tried to convince her to remain in Boston, where she might be safe and even-though he would never admit it-find a suitable husband. But Cassandra's heart was set westward, toward adventure and possibility. I was born in England, but have lived in Southern California for many years. I m now retired and live in the Pacific NW in a little seaside city amongst the giant redwoods and wonderful harbor, almost at the Oregon border. My husband and I have one cat, called Midnight and she is featured in two of my latest Sci-Fi short stories. I love Science Fiction, animals, and trying to help others. I publish under Doreen Milstead as well as my own name. My photo was taken right before the coronation of QE II in the UK.
