Allen Chaffee

Born Antoinette Gurney on May 4, 1884, she was an American-born author who later became associated with Britain. She used her maternal grandfather’s name, Allen Chaffee, as a pen name and legally adopted it in 1919.

She wrote a range of children’s books, especially animal stories and adaptations of well-known classics for younger readers. Titles linked with her include The Adventures of Fleetfoot and Her Fawns, Adventures on the High Trail, and retellings such as Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, and The Story of Hiawatha.

Allen Chaffee lived a remarkably long life, dying on February 13, 1985. The surviving records found for this overview are brief, but they consistently present her as a prolific writer for children whose work blended storytelling, outdoor settings, and a warm interest in animals.