The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors

Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews

1860–1936

Best known for the hugely popular Lincoln story The Perfect Tribute, this American writer built a wide readership with historical fiction, short stories, and novels. Her work mixes patriotic feeling, drama, and a lively storytelling style that helped keep her books in print for decades.

John Kendrick Bangs

1862–1922

Best known for witty, imaginative tales that helped inspire what later came to be called "Bangsian fantasy," this American humorist brought the afterlife, satire, and literary playfulness together in a way that still feels fresh. He also built a notable career as an editor and magazine writer during the lively print culture of the late 19th century.

Alice Brown

1857–1948

A sharp-eyed chronicler of New England life, this American writer built a career out of vivid local-color fiction, poetry, and plays. Her work was widely read in her day and still offers a rich picture of regional life and character.

Mary Stewart Cutting

1851–1924

Known for warm, observant stories about home life and relationships, this American writer built a steady readership with fiction rooted in everyday experience. Her work belongs to the tradition of domestic realism that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

1852–1930

Known for vivid New England settings and sharp insight into the lives of women, this American writer helped define regional fiction in the late nineteenth century. Her work ranges from quiet village realism to memorable ghost stories that still find readers today.

Henry James

1843–1916

A master of psychological fiction, this American-born writer created subtle, suspenseful stories about love, money, power, and the hidden motives people rarely say out loud. His novels and tales still feel fresh for the way they capture moral ambiguity and the tension between America and Europe.

Elizabeth Garver Jordan

1867–1947

A trailblazing magazine editor and journalist, she helped shape American literary culture while also pushing for women’s political voice. Her career moved from newspaper reporting to the editorship of Harper's Bazar, where she became known for sharp editorial judgment and wide literary connections.

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

1844–1911

An early feminist novelist and essayist, she became famous for The Gates Ajar, a Civil War-era bestseller that imagined heaven in a deeply personal, comforting way. Her writing also pushed against narrow ideas about marriage, religion, and what women were allowed to do with their lives.

Henry Van Dyke

1852–1933

A warm, reflective voice from the turn of the 20th century, he wrote stories, essays, and poems that brought together faith, nature, and everyday kindness. Best known for beloved pieces such as The Story of the Other Wise Man, he was also a minister, teacher, and diplomat.

Mary Heaton Vorse

1874–1966

A vivid witness to strikes, social change, and the making of modern labor journalism, this writer brought sharp reporting and a human touch to the struggles of workers and reformers. Her life moved between art, fiction, activism, and frontline journalism.

A Chicago writer with close ties to Hull House, she brought sharp observation and warmth to stories, essays, and poems about everyday American life. Her work moved in the orbit of the city’s reform and literary circles while keeping a clear, human scale.