Jan Westcott (February 23, 1912 – October 29, 2011), born Maryann "Mary" Josephine Vlachos, was an American author of historical fiction.
The daughter of Dutch-born classical scholar Nicholas P. Vlachos, a professor at Temple University,[1] Westcott was born in Philadelphia and raised in the area, graduating from Swarthmore High School.
After her husband left to join the army in 1943,[3] Westcott tried her hand at writing a historical novel, which she worked on while her sons were at school and after putting them to bed.
Westcott was indeed praised by some reviewers for her attention to detail: one notice for Captain Barney stated "[she] gets her inspiration from the Encyclopædia Britannica",[5] although others questioned the authenticity of her books.
[1] Westcott's first two novels in particular were successful, both The Border Lord and Captain For Elizabeth (1948) ranking as New York Times Bestsellers and reportedly each selling a million copies.