Alice French
Encyclopedia
Alice French better known as Octave Thanet, was an American
novel
ist.
She was born at Andover, Massachusetts
, a daughter of George Henry and Frances Wood French. She graduated from Abbot Academy in Andover, in 1868. She began her literary career about 1878 with studies of a social and economic bent, but soon turned to short stories, especially after her removal to Davenport, Iowa
. Iowa
and Arkansas
gave her opportunities for exploiting regions hitherto little attempted in fiction
. Her stories “The Bishop's Vagabond,” “The Hay of the Cyclone,” and “Whitsun Harp, Regulator” were popular. These, with other articles, initially appeared in the Atlantic Monthly and Scribner's Magazine
. Later they appeared in her books. Her novel Expiation (1890), won high praise.
French's mother, Frances, was the daughter of Massachusetts Governor
Marcus Morton
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist.
She was born at Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
, a daughter of George Henry and Frances Wood French. She graduated from Abbot Academy in Andover, in 1868. She began her literary career about 1878 with studies of a social and economic bent, but soon turned to short stories, especially after her removal to Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
. Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
gave her opportunities for exploiting regions hitherto little attempted in fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. Her stories “The Bishop's Vagabond,” “The Hay of the Cyclone,” and “Whitsun Harp, Regulator” were popular. These, with other articles, initially appeared in the Atlantic Monthly and Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
. Later they appeared in her books. Her novel Expiation (1890), won high praise.
French's mother, Frances, was the daughter of Massachusetts Governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Marcus Morton
Marcus Morton
Marcus Morton was a lawyer, jurist, and politician from Taunton, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and served two terms as 16th and 18th Governor of Massachusetts, as well as a portion of an unexpired term in 1825, as Acting Governor.Morton...
.
Partial bibliography
- The Bishop's Vagabond (1884)
- Knitters in the Sun (1887)
- We All (1889)
- Stories of a Western Town (1892)
- Otto the Knight (1893)
- A Book of True Lovers (1897)
- Missionary Sheriff (1897)
- The Heart of Toil (1898)
- An Adventure in Photography (1899)
- The Best Letters of Mary Wortley MontaguLady Mary Wortley MontaguThe Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat and writer. Montagu is today chiefly remembered for her letters, particularly her letters from Turkey, as wife to the British ambassador, which have been described by Billie Melman as “the very first example of a secular work by a woman about...
(1901) (editor) - The Man of the Hour (1905)
- Stories That End Well (1911)
- A Step on the Stair (1913)
External links
- Works by Octave Thanet at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(as Octave Thanet) - Alice French (Octave Thanet) Papers at Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...