born 1859, Portland, Maine, U.S.
died Aug. 13, 1930, Cambridge, Mass.
U.S. novelist and playwright.
She performed with her family's singing group before writing her first novel, Contending Forces (1900). Later novels include Hagar's Daughter (1902), Winona (1902), Of One Blood (1903), and Topsy Templeton (1916). The novels reflect the influence of W.E.B. Du Bois and pioneer in using the traditional romance novel to explore racial and social themes.