Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920)

Eleanor H. Porter, née Hodgman, was born in Littleton, New Hampshire. She trained as a singer at the New England Conservatory of Music for several years. In 1892, she married John L. Porter, a businessman, and moved to Massachusetts. She continued as a singer in concerts and church choirs but by 1901, had given it up to become a writer. Her short stories began appearing in magazines and newspapers. Her debut novel, Cross Currents, was published in 1907. Her most famous work was Pollyanna (1913), a bestseller that was followed by a sequel, Pollyanna Grows Up (1915).
Pollyanna was adapted into a Broadway play in 1916 and then into a 1920 silent film starring Mary Pickford; another film version was released in 1960. It also launched a vast industry of related books and products.

Mrs. Porter's other bestsellers were Just David (1916), The Road to Understanding (1917), Oh, Money! Money! (1918), Dawn (1919), and Mary-Marie (1920).