Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, which reflect his cosmopolitan upbringing and travels. Born to a distinguished family with artistic and literary interests, Crawford was educated in the United States, at St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and later in Europe, where he attended the universities of Cambridge, Heidelberg, and Rome. With a historical and romantic style, Crawford's fiction often blended the mysterious with the vividly detailed settings of his adopted homeland. One of his notable works, 'Corleone: A Tale of Sicily' (1897), exemplifies this approach, immersing readers in the landscape, culture, and tumult of Sicily with a thrilling narrative. While not as well-known today, Crawford was a prolific author in his time, with books such as 'A Roman Singer' (1884) and 'Saracinesca' (1887), earning him an international readership. Crawford's literary craftsmanship, combined with his skill at integrating elements of suspense and gothic sensibilities, marked him as a significant figure in the literary world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.