Born in New York City, raised in London and Calcutta, the author misspent her youth devouring books on history, absorbing the Classics, and listening to first-hand tales of the Raj from antique relatives. Each side of her family had a four century history in East India as tea planters, in shipping, and in the military.

A long-time biographee of Marquis Who's Who, she served for thirty-five years as the Charge Scenic Artist of the Tony Award winning American Conservatory Theater and an additional six years as a scenic artist of the San Francisco Opera.