Mildred D. Taylor's novels are often based on stories that she read, heard, or was told about her family's history. "I remember my grandparents' house, the house my great-grandfather had built at the turn of the century, and I remember the adults talking about the past. As they talked, I began to visualize all the family who had once known The Land and I felt as if I knew them too,""The Land and Other Books by Mildred Taylor", TeacherVision. Retrieved April 18, 2010. Taylor explained.
