For most people, especially those unfamiliar with the country’s fourth-largest city, the name Sam Houston may not mean much. But for Rose Gonsoulin, a native Houstonian, novelist and history buff, Sam Houston is a rockstar of American history.

Author of the historical fiction novel, “When the Grass Is Rising: A Portrait of Young Sam Houston,” Gonsoulin will share Houston’s story at the upcoming Encore For More Speakers Program Thursday, Oct. 19, from 1 to 2 p.m., in the Community Center. At the event, Gonsoulin will tell the story of the man who ran away from home, lived among the Cherokee and eventually became a congressman and governor of Tennessee and a member of Andrew Jackson’s inner circle.

“His influence on our country was enormous,” Gonsoulin said. “If it weren’t for Sam Houston, Arizona might still be part of Mexico.”

For 20 years, Gonsoulin has been studying the life the former general who won Texas’ independence from Mexico and the city of Houston’s namesake. But of the many biographies of Houston’s life, Gonsoulin could not find much detail about his early years. So, after four years of writing, Gonsoulin finished her coming-of-age fictional account of Houston’s teenage years.

“While it is fictional, the book stays very close to the actual facts that were available to me,” Gonsoulin said, who traveled to Virginia, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic to research Houston’s early life. “Learning about that time-period in American history was very rewarding and gave me insight into the issues that still divide our country today.”

Gonsoulin’s presentation is entitled, “Sam Houston: The George Washington of His Time” and invites anyone interested in history -- especially the pre-Civil War period in the United States -- to attend.

“His life and character offer lessons of hope and optimism that can help us all given the state of politics in the world today,” Gonsoulin said.

“When the Grass Is Rising: A Portrait of Young Sam Houston,” is available online for pre-oder in paperback at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com for $16.99.

Free and open to the public, Gonsoulin’s presentation will be at the Community Center, 13001 N. La Montana Drive. Preregistration is preferred for this event and seating is limited to 40. For more information, call the Community Center at 480-816-5200.