THE RHINO KEEPER
2025 Kansas Notable Book
IBPA Award Winner
MIPA Award Winner
Available now from
History Through Fiction
THE PORCELAIN MENAGERIE
a companion to The Rhino Keeper
Signed Preorders Available Exclusively through History Through Fiction
About Jillian
Award-winning Kansas author Jillian Forsberg holds a master’s degree in public history from Wichita State University and a bachelor’s degree in communication and history from McPherson College. Her research on little-known historical events led her to discover the true story behind her first novel, The Rhino Keeper.
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Jillian is a regular contributor to Writer Unboxed and leads the Manuscript Matchup beta reader program through History Through Fiction.
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You can find Jillian gardening, browsing the closest antique mall, or reading every label at a museum. She'll most likely be wearing vintage dresses, except when she's at the zoo.
Jillian owns a bridal store and has worked in bridal since 2007. She lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband, child, and pets.
Jillian’s second novel, THE PORCELAIN MENAGERIE, debuts 10/21/2025. Her third novel is written and she's working on a fourth. She will always write animal stories.
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Agents: Jillian is open to representation.
Praise for The Rhino Keeper
Paste Magazine’s The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024:
​“This particular historical fiction release has strong “you’re going to read it in book club” vibes.​​"​
“The Rhino Keeper is both a historical mystery and a tale of old-world adventure, reminding us that even the wishes we take to our grave may someday come true after all.”
~Sarah Penner, NYT Bestselling Author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society​
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"Readers of Forsberg's accomplished debut will find their hearts expanded with each page they turn."
~Molly Greeley, author of MARVELOUS
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“How can anyone resist a tale about a rhinoceros named Clara and the salty seaman who loves her?”
~Elizabeth R. Andersen, author of The Alewives
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"A captivating debut you'll never forget."
~Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain
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"An absorbing delight from start to finish.”
~Glynis Ridley, author of Clara’s Grand Tour. Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-Century Europe
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“A charming page turner perfect for animal and history lovers alike.”
~Diana Giovinazzo, author of Antoinette’s Sister
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"​​An unusual delight that will enrapture fans of historical fiction."
~Olivia Hawker, bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow
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Praise for The Porcelain Menagerie
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"Historical fiction at its most evocative."
~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue
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A tale as intricate as the small treasures they created."
~ Laura Morelli, USA Today Bestselling Author & Art Historian
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"As luminous and brilliant as the porcelain that inspired it."
~ Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Artist of Blackberry Grange
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"A propulsive page-turner."
-Laurie L. Dove, USA Today Bestselling Author of Mask of The Deer Woman
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"I could not put it down."
-Jess Armstrong, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Curse of Penryth Hall
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"A finely wrought story of ownership, obsession, and love."
-Molly Greeley, Author of Marvelous ​​​
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