Catherine Nixon Cooke's New Biography Recognized by Rising Star Program

Author Catherine Nixon Cooke transports readers across continents and cultures, offering a unique glimpse of 20th-century Mexico in her new biography "The Thistle and the Rose: Romance, Railroads, and Big Oil in Revolutionary Mexico" (published by iUniverse).

Delivering a satisfying journey of self-discovery based on historic documents, photographs, rare texts and personal interviews, "The Thistle and the Rose" has been selected for inclusion in the iUniverse Rising Star program, which recognizes excellence in writing and overall potential. It also received an honorable mention from the New England Book Festival in the biography category.

"I love a good mystery," Cooke says. "I was inspired by a wonderful family collection of historic photos that depicted beautiful ancestors. The McNab family knew it had a rich history, but did not have details. The chase was on!"

John George McNab, a handsome Scotsman, and Guadalupe Fuentes Nivon McNab, a beautiful Oaxacan, fell in love while enduring the seemingly impossible challenge of building the famous Tehuantepec Railroad across the malaria-ridden isthmus of Mexico.

"The Thistle and the Rose" is a rich, action-packed and historically accurate story of courage, political intrigue and romance, filled with details of the Mexican oil industry, which has recently been on the forefront of international news. It offers an inspiring account of history for anyone searching for their own family roots.

"It satisfies the reader's need to be entertained while learning," Cooke says. "It seems like a dramatic novel, but in fact delivers lots of history about Mexico."

"The Thistle and the Rose"
By Catherine Nixon Cooke
Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 292 pages | ISBN 9781475965162
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 292 pages | ISBN 9781475965155
E-Book | 292 pages | ISBN 9781475965179
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Catherine Nixon Cooke is the author of two biographies, "The Thistle and the Rose" and "Tom Slick Mystery Hunter" - which was recently optioned for a major motion picture. She is an avid explorer and was awarded the prestigious Sweeney Award from the international Explorers Club. When not journeying to remote landscapes, she enjoys the alternate satisfaction of exploring the terrain of the written word, extraordinary characters and unsolved mysteries.

iUniverse, an Author Solutions, LLC, self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader's Choice, Rising Star and Editor's Choice designations-self-publishing's only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.