Erik Christian Haugaard was born in Denmark in 1923 and is best known for his historical novels for young readers and his translation of Hans Christian Anderson’s folk tales. He came from an upper-middle-class family, but they lost their money, and he went to work on a farm at 15. Two years later, he sailed to the United States on the last ship to leave Denmark before the Nazi invasion. The experience of being uprooted by war became a common theme in the novels he wrote for children and young adults, including The Samurai’s Tale.

Haugaard published his first story in his high school newspaper in California. He later enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II because the US armed forces would have required him to renounce his Danish citizenship. Haugaard began writing for young readers after his first novel for an adult audience was rejected. He went on to write nine novels, including A Boy’s Will, The Untold Take, and Cromwell’s Boy.

His work won several awards, including a Notable Book Award from the American Library Association and a Culture Minister of Denmark Prize. He traveled widely in Japan, Italy, Spain, and the United States.