Eleanor Emily Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist, most known for ''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...

'' (1913) and '' Just David'' (1916).

Biography

Eleanor Emily Hodgman was born in

Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,005 at the 2020 census. Situated at the northern edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River. The main vill ...

, on December 19, 1868, the daughter of Llewella French ( Woolson) and Francis Fletcher Hodgman. She was trained as a

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, attending the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on Hu ...

for several years. In 1892 she married John Lyman Porter and relocated to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, after which she began writing and publishing her short stories and, later, novels. She died in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, on May 21, 1920, and was buried at

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first rural cemetery, rural, or garden, cemetery in the United States, located on the line between Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, Watertown in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middl ...

Works

Porter wrote mainly

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

adventure stories Adventure fiction is a type of fiction that usually presents danger, or gives the reader a sense of excitement. Some adventure fiction also satisfies the literary definition of romance fiction. History In the Introduction to the ''Encyclopedi ...

, and

romance fiction A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and Romance (love), romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimis ...

. Her most famous novel is ''

'' (1913), followed by a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, ''

Pollyanna Grows Up ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' is a 1915 children's novel by Eleanor H. Porter. It is the first of many sequels to Porter's best-selling ''Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of ch ...

'' (1915). 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). 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.

Bibliography

Short stories

*''A Delayed Heritage'' *''A Four-Footed Faith and a Two'' *''A Matter of System'' *''A Mushroom of Collingsville'' *''A Patron of Art'' *''Angelus'' *''Crumbs'' *''Millionaire Mike's Thanksgiving'' *''That Angel Boy'' *''The Apple of Her Eye'' *''The Daltons and the Legacy'' *''The Elephant's Board and Keep'' *''The Folly of Wisdom'' *''The Glory and the Sacrifice'' *''The Indivisible Five'' *''The Lady in Black'' *''The Letter'' *''The Saving of Dad'' *''When Mother Fell Ill'' *''When Polly Ann Played Santa Claus'' *''Women in Black''

Novels

*''Cross Currents'' (1907) *''The Turn of the Tide'' (1908) *''The Story of Marco'' (1911) *''Miss Billy'' (1911) *''Miss Billy's Decision'' (1912) *''

'' (1913) *''The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch'' (1913) *''Miss Billy Married'' (1914) *''

'' (1915) *'' Just David'' (1916) *''The Road to Understanding'' (1917) *''Oh, Money! Money!'' (1918) *''The Tangled Threads'' (1919) *''Dawn'' (1919) *''Mary Marie'' (1920)

References

External links

* * * *
PBS biography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Eleanor H. 1868 births 1920 deaths American children's writers Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery New England Conservatory alumni People from Littleton, New Hampshire