Jean has built a decades-long career as the author of critically acclaimed fiction and nonfiction Her work is known as much for its lucid storytelling and gripping details as it is for its historical veracity.Since 2015 she has worked as a Certified Arborist and has broad experience in the tree industry. Her forthcoming memoir Of Heartwood and Woundwood: An Unlikely Arborist’s Path to Courage and Joy (Broadleaf, Fall 2026) draws upon her personal health challenges and her historical acumen as well as her extensive tree knowledge.