"I married her knowing her name, if not her quality. Had I known the latter, had I known she was the King's ward, all the same I should have married her She is my wife in the sight of God and honest men. Death may silence me, but men shall not bend me..."To Have and to Hold is the classic novel by American author Mary Johnston that has everything--sword fights! Pirates! Romance! Adventure! Runaway heiresses! Great villains! Daring escapes!Despite the unexciting title and the fact that it was written over a century ago, this book is a virtual guidebook on what an entertaining adventure novel should be.It became the bestselling novel in the United States in the year 1900.MARY JOHNSTON (1870–1936) was one of America's best selling authors during her writing career and had three silent films adapted from her novels. Johnston wrote historical books and novels that often combined romance with history. During her long career Johnston wrote, in addition to 23 novels, numerous short stories, two narrative poems, and one play. She used her fame to advocate for women's rights and strongly supported the women's suffrage movement.