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Eleanor H. Porter

Eleanor Emily Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist. She was best known as the creator of the Polyanna series of books, starting with Pollyanna (1913), which were a popular phenomenon.[1]

Eleanor H. Porter
Porter, c. 1890–1900
Porter, c. 1890–1900
BornEleanor Emily Hodgman
(1868-12-19)December 19, 1868
Littleton, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedMay 21, 1920(1920-05-21) (aged 51)
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
Years active1901–1920[1]
Notable worksPollyanna (1913)
Spouse
John Lyman Porter
​
(m. 1892)​

Biography

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Eleanor Emily Hodgman was born in Littleton, New Hampshire, on December 19, 1868, the daughter of Llewella French (née Woolson) and Francis Fletcher Hodgman.[2][3] She was trained as a singer, attending the New England Conservatory for several years. In 1892 she married John Lyman Porter and relocated to Massachusetts, after which she began writing and publishing her short stories and, later, novels.[2] She died at her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 21, 1920, and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.[2]

 
Grave of Eleanor H. Porter, Mount Auburn Cemetery

Works

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Porter wrote mainly children's literature, adventure stories, and romance fiction. Her most famous novel is Pollyanna (1913), followed by a sequel, Pollyanna Grows Up (1915).[1]

Her adult novels include The Turn of the Tide (1908), The Road to Understanding (1917), Oh Money! Money! (1918), Dawn (1919), Keith's Dark Tower (1919), Mary Marie (1920) and Sister Sue (1921); her short-story collections include Across the Years (c. 1919), Money, Love and Kate (1923), and Little Pardner (1926).[1]

Porter achieved considerable commercial success: Pollyanna ranked eighth among best-selling novels in the United States during 1913, second during 1914, and fourth during 1915 (with 47 printings between 1915 and 1920); Just David ranked third in 1916; The Road to Understanding ranked fourth in 1917; and Oh Money! Money! ranked fifth in 1918.[4]

Bibliography

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Short stories

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Novels

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  • Cross Currents (1907)
  • The Turn of the Tide (1908)
  • The Story of Marco (1911)
  • Miss Billy (1911)
  • Miss Billy's Decision (1912)
  • Pollyanna (1913)
  • The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch (1913)
  • Miss Billy Married (1914)
  • Pollyanna Grows Up (1915)
  • Just David (1916)
  • The Road to Understanding (1917)
  • Oh, Money! Money! (1918)
  • The Tangled Threads (1919)
  • Dawn (1919)
  • Mary Marie (1920)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Eleanor Hodgman Porter: American Author of Pollyanna & Beyond". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  2. ^ a b c "Eleanor H. Porter". The Literature Network. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  3. ^ "Ancestry of Bill Richardson". wargs.com.
  4. ^ Burt, Daniel S. (2004). The chronology of American literature: America's literary achievements from the colonial era to modern times. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 321, 328, 339. ISBN 978-0-618-16821-7.
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