author
A. S. (Azel Stevens) Roe
1798–1886
A 19th-century American novelist who came to fiction after working in the wine trade, he wrote popular moral and domestic stories with titles like I've Been Thinking and To Love and Be Loved. His books speak in a plain, earnest voice that fits the values and everyday dramas of their time.
1 Audiobook
I've Been Thinking; or, the Secret of Success
by A. S. (Azel Stevens) Roe
About the author
Born in New York City on August 16, 1798, A. S. Roe—short for Azel Stevens Roe—became known as an American novelist in the mid-1800s. Reference sources agree that he later died at East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, on January 1, 1886.
Older biographical notices say he left the wine business and turned to writing fiction. He is associated with a long list of domestic and moral novels, including I've Been Thinking; or, The Secret of Success, Looking Around, To Love and Be Loved, and True to the Last.
Roe's fiction was written for a broad popular audience and often centers on character, choices, family life, and steady self-improvement. For listeners who enjoy earnest 19th-century storytelling and a glimpse of everyday American values from that era, his work offers a clear and approachable entry point.