The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors

Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews

1860–1936

Known for turning American history into vivid popular fiction, this early 20th-century writer reached a huge audience with "The Perfect Tribute," her much-loved story about Abraham Lincoln. Her work blends patriotic feeling, strong storytelling, and an easy, magazine-ready style.

John Kendrick Bangs

1862–1922

A prolific humorist and satirist, he turned literary history and the afterlife into playgrounds for clever, comic adventures. He is best remembered for A House-Boat on the Styx, the imaginative work that inspired the term “Bangsian fantasy.”

Alice Brown

1857–1948

A keen observer of New England life, this American writer built a long career from short stories, novels, poetry, and plays, earning particular notice for her regional fiction. Her work blends quiet emotional insight with a strong sense of place.

Mary Stewart Cutting

1851–1924

A popular American writer of domestic fiction, she turned the rhythms of marriage, family, and everyday life into warm, sharply observed stories. Her books and short fiction were widely read in the early 20th century and still offer an appealing window into that world.

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

1852–1930

Best known for vivid stories of New England village life, this American writer brought quiet struggles, strong-willed women, and eerie undercurrents to the page. Her work ranges from realism to memorable ghost stories, with "Pembroke" and "A New England Nun" among the pieces still widely read.

Henry James

1843–1916

A master of psychological fiction, this transatlantic novelist explored the tensions between America and Europe with unusual subtlety and depth. Best known for works like The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of the Screw, and The Ambassadors, he helped shape the modern novel.

Elizabeth Garver Jordan

1867–1947

A pioneering journalist and editor, she moved from newspaper reporting into a major role in American magazine publishing and literary culture. She also used her platform to support women's suffrage and helped shape the early careers of other writers.

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

1844–1911

Best known for the hugely popular novel The Gates Ajar, this American writer blended emotional storytelling with bold ideas about faith, grief, and women’s lives. Her work helped make her one of the most widely read and discussed authors of the late 19th century.

Henry Van Dyke

1852–1933

Remembered for graceful, reflective writing, this American author moved easily between the pulpit, the classroom, and public life. His stories, poems, and essays brought warmth and moral clarity to a wide readership in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Mary Heaton Vorse

1874–1966

A fearless reporter of strikes, working women, and political dissent, she turned first-hand activism into vivid journalism and fiction. Her life linked the women’s movement, labor battles, and the bohemian world of Provincetown.

A Chicago writer with a sharp eye for everyday lives, she moved easily between fiction, poetry, criticism, and social commentary. Her work grew out of the reform-minded literary world around Hull House and helped capture the spirit of early 20th-century Chicago.