Many know about her husband, Robert E. Lee, and her great-grandmother, Martha Washington; many have visited the cemetery that now occupies her family estate. But few today know much about Mary Custis Lee herself. Chronically ill and often in excruciating pain, Mary raised seven children, faithfully witnessing to her husband for years before his conversion. She retained her dignity and faith throughout a fruitless, heartbreaking attempt to win compensation for the confiscation of her home and possessions. History is never more powerful than when it provides a role model for enduring hardship with sturdy and radiant faith. Mary Custis Lee is such an example.
New York Times best selling author John Perry was the fifth generation of his family to be born in Greensburg, Kentucky. He grew up in Houston, where he played basketball, ran track, and starred in musical productions. After serving in the army he attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville and University College, Oxford, England. John graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt with a BA in English and a minor in piano, then tried to figure out how to earn a living with them.
He began his career in Houston as an advertising copywriter and radio producer, winning several national awards for creative excellence. His interest in music took him to Nashville, where he co-founded American Network Radio Productions and worked with country music greats including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Larry Gatlin, Kathy Mattea, and Tanya Tucker.
An advertising project in Nashville introduced John to the world of books. A bookstore chain he had done radio spots for commissioned him to write dust jacket copy for their publishing division. Then, they requested a ghostwritten foreword. One thing led to another, and over the next several years John made the transition to full-time author.
Today John divides his time between books of his own and collaborations with a variety of writers and public figures. His biographies of Sergeant Alvin York and of Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver were CBA Award finalists. His biography of Mary Custis (Mrs. Robert E.) Lee, Lady of Arlington, was nominated for the Lincoln Prize for books about the Civil War era.
In the spring of 2010, his co-authored novel Letters to God, written with Patrick Doughtie and based on Patrick's feature film, debuted at #7 on The New York Times Best Seller List.
John is represented by literary agents Wolgemuth & Associates, Orlando.
