Inducted 2014 Born: March 28, 1905 Franklin County, Arkansas Died: June 1, 1979 Adair County, Kentucky
Janice Holt Giles was born in Arkansas, the second of four children born to educators John Albert Holt and Lucy Elizabeth McGraw Holt. she didn’t start her first novel until 1946, when she was 41, and didn’t finish it until four years later. She wrote Enduring Hills (1950), a historical fiction novel, while working full time as secretary to Dr. louis sherrill, dean of louisville presbyterian theological seminary.
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janice married her first husband, otto moore, in 1927 and divorced him in 1939. she met an army sergeant, henry giles, on a bus ride in 1943. they corresponded during world war ii and They married in 1945 after Henry’s death discharged from the Army. In 1946, they moved near Henry’s ancestral land at Knifley in Adair County.
Between 1950 and 1975, he wrote 26 books, most of which were bestsellers, regularly reviewed in the New York Times, and selected for inclusion in popular book clubs. he published almost one book a year from 1950 to 1975, some years publishing several books (three in 1951 and two in 1954). these included 19 novels, six works of nonfiction, and a collection of fiction and nonfiction. there are numerous reports that the collective sales of it reached more than 3 million copies.
“her photo took pride of place in the new york office of her literary agent, along with those of willa cather, h.g. wells and edith wharton,” wrote dianne watkins stuart, author of janice holt giles: a writer’s life (kentucky university press, 1998).
Giles’s historical fiction spanned a wide geographic range in search of his depiction of early American pioneer life, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. His historical figures included Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, and James Harrod. one critic suggested that there is a certain democracy at the center of his work in depicting the complexity of relationships between white settlers, Native Americans, and African Americans.
stuart, his biographer, revealed that giles often humbly professed to be “just a good storyteller”. but she was so much more than that. she was a keen observer of life with great sensitivity, an ear for language, and a superb imagination.
Janice and Henry Giles, who died in 1986, are buried in the Caldwell Chapel Separate Baptist Church Cemetery in Knifley, Kentucky.
selected bibliography los cerros endurables. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1950.
miss willie. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1951.
the healing of tare. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1951.
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the crest of harbin. (Co-written with Henry Giles.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1951.
forty acres and no mules. (Nonfiction.) Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1952.
kentuckians. boston: houghton mifflin, 1953.
the thicket of plums. boston: houghton mifflin, 1954.
man on the hill. (Published under the pseudonym John Garth.) New York: Pyramid Books, 1954.
hannah fowler.boston: houghton mifflin, 1956.
the believers. boston: houghton mifflin, 1957.
land beyond the mountains. boston: houghton mifflin, 1958.
johnny osage. boston: houghton mifflin, 1960.
savannah. boston: houghton mifflin, 1961.
trip to santa fe. boston: houghton mifflin, 1962.
a little better than plumb. (Nonfiction, co-written with Henry Giles.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1963.
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pass me a river. boston: houghton mifflin, 1964.
the g.i. Sergeant Giles’ Diary (Nonfiction co-written with Henry Giles.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965.
the great adventure.boston: houghton mifflin, 1966.
shaded grove. boston: houghton mifflin, 1967.
six horse hitch. boston: houghton mifflin, 1969.
the damn engineers (non-fiction). boston: houghton mifflin, 1970.
around our house (non-fiction co-written with henry giles…) boston: houghton mifflin, 1971.
the fifth years (non-fiction). boston: houghton mifflin, 1973.
manantial (fiction and non-fiction collection). boston: houghton mifflin, 1975.
act of contrition (novel written in the 1950s). lexington, ky: kentucky university press, 2001.
additional links: janice holt giles papers, university of kentucky special collections.
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