Isabella Macdonald Alden
Encyclopedia
Isabella Macdonald Alden (November 3, 1841 – August 5, 1930) was an American
author, writing under the pseudonym
of "Pansy".
Alden was born in Rochester, New York
to well-educated parents. She was the sixth of seven children, and was initially home-schooled by her father, who also gave her her nickname. She developed her writing skills early: as a child, she kept a daily journal, which her father critiqued, and had her first story, "Our Old Clock," published in the village paper when she was only ten.
Alden met her husband, Reverend Gustavus Rossenberg Alden, while teaching at Oneida Seminary in New York. His work took the couple to various parts of the country, including Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. After her marriage, Alden divided her time among writing, participating in church activities, teaching at several of the Chautauqua sessions, and raising her son Raymond, who was born in 1873. By 1900, the Family had three residences: a home in Philadelphia, a summer residence in Chautauqua, New York, and a winter home in Winter Park, Florida.
Throughout her life, Isabella Alden combined her writing and her religion. She did much work with Christian periodicals, writing serialized stories for the Herald and Presbyter from about 1870 until 1900; editing The Pansy, a Sunday juvenile, from 1874-1894; editing the Primary Quarterly and producing the primary grade Sunday School lessons for the Westmister Teacher for twenty years; and working on the editorial staff of Trained Motherhood and The Christian Endeavor.
From 1865 to 1929, Alden authored about 100 books. Most of her works are didactic fiction, heavily salted with religious principles, which concentrate on translating Biblical precepts into acceptable Christian behavior in a modern world. Several of her books, such as her most popular work Ester Ried, were based on personal experiences; others, such as the Chautauqua Girls series, were motivated by her interest in the Chautauqua movement. She and her niece, Grace Livingston Hill, even make a brief appearance in the final chapter of the last book in the series, Four Mothers at Chatauqua.
Alden's books were enormously popular during the late nineteenth century; in 1900, sales were estimated at around 100,000 copies annually. Some titles were translated into several languages, including French, German, Russian and Japanese.
After the deaths of her husband and son in 1924, Alden moved to Palo Alto, California, where she made her home with her daughter-in-law. She continued writing until shortly before her death on August 5, 1930, leaving an unfinished autobiography, Memories of Yesterday, which was completed and edited by her niece, Grace Livingston Hill.
In the 1990s, edited and abridged editions of some Alden's works have appeared in two series issued by Christian publishers, The Pansy Collection, published by Creation Books
, and the Grace Livingston Hill Library, published by Living Books.
Chautauqua Girls series:
paired books:
others:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, writing under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of "Pansy".
Alden was born in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to well-educated parents. She was the sixth of seven children, and was initially home-schooled by her father, who also gave her her nickname. She developed her writing skills early: as a child, she kept a daily journal, which her father critiqued, and had her first story, "Our Old Clock," published in the village paper when she was only ten.
Alden met her husband, Reverend Gustavus Rossenberg Alden, while teaching at Oneida Seminary in New York. His work took the couple to various parts of the country, including Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. After her marriage, Alden divided her time among writing, participating in church activities, teaching at several of the Chautauqua sessions, and raising her son Raymond, who was born in 1873. By 1900, the Family had three residences: a home in Philadelphia, a summer residence in Chautauqua, New York, and a winter home in Winter Park, Florida.
Throughout her life, Isabella Alden combined her writing and her religion. She did much work with Christian periodicals, writing serialized stories for the Herald and Presbyter from about 1870 until 1900; editing The Pansy, a Sunday juvenile, from 1874-1894; editing the Primary Quarterly and producing the primary grade Sunday School lessons for the Westmister Teacher for twenty years; and working on the editorial staff of Trained Motherhood and The Christian Endeavor.
From 1865 to 1929, Alden authored about 100 books. Most of her works are didactic fiction, heavily salted with religious principles, which concentrate on translating Biblical precepts into acceptable Christian behavior in a modern world. Several of her books, such as her most popular work Ester Ried, were based on personal experiences; others, such as the Chautauqua Girls series, were motivated by her interest in the Chautauqua movement. She and her niece, Grace Livingston Hill, even make a brief appearance in the final chapter of the last book in the series, Four Mothers at Chatauqua.
Alden's books were enormously popular during the late nineteenth century; in 1900, sales were estimated at around 100,000 copies annually. Some titles were translated into several languages, including French, German, Russian and Japanese.
After the deaths of her husband and son in 1924, Alden moved to Palo Alto, California, where she made her home with her daughter-in-law. She continued writing until shortly before her death on August 5, 1930, leaving an unfinished autobiography, Memories of Yesterday, which was completed and edited by her niece, Grace Livingston Hill.
In the 1990s, edited and abridged editions of some Alden's works have appeared in two series issued by Christian publishers, The Pansy Collection, published by Creation Books
Creation Books
Creation Books is a British publishing house specializing in experimental literature, surrealism, erotic and decadent literature. Creation also publish non-fiction, with books on magic, subcultures, and taboo topics such as suicide and serial killers. They are best known for publishing a number of...
, and the Grace Livingston Hill Library, published by Living Books.
Selected Work
Ester Ried series:- Ester Ried: Asleep and Awake (1870)
- Julia Ried: Listening and Led (1872)
- The King's Daughter (1873)
- Wise and Otherwise (1873)
- Ester Ried Yet Speaking (1883)
- Ester Ried's Namesake (1906)
Chautauqua Girls series:
- Four Girls at Chautauqua (1876)
- The Chautauqua Girls at Home (1877)
- Ruth Erskine's Crosses (1879)
- Judge Burnham's Daughters (1888)
- Workers Together, or, An Endless Chain
- Ruth Erskine's Son (1907)
- Four Mothers at Chautauqua (1913)
paired books:
- Chrissy's Endeavor
- Her Associate Members
- Household Puzzles
- The Randolphs
- Aunt Hannah and Martha and John
- John Remington
others:
- Mag & Margaret
- Little Fishers and Their Nets
- Interrupted (Out in the World)
- Divers Women
- Tip Lewis and His Lamp
- Three People (1871)
- Eighty-Seven (1887)
- The Hall in the Grove (1882)
- Links in Rebecca's Life (1878)
- From Different Standpoints (1878)
- Memories of Yesterday
External links
- Isabella Macdonald Alden home page (Pansy books)
- Isabella Alden audiobooks on LibriVox.org
- Isabella Alden at Find-A-Grave