author
Annie Keary
1825–1879
Remembered for thoughtful Victorian fiction and unusually fresh writing for children, this English author brought warmth, moral seriousness, and a lively imagination to everything she wrote. Her best-known work, Castle Daly, helped build her reputation as a novelist who could pair social feeling with an engaging story.
1 Audiobook
The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology
by Annie Keary, Eliza Keary
About the author
Born Anna Maria Keary in Yorkshire on March 3, 1825, she was the daughter of William Keary, an Irish-born clergyman, and grew up in a literary family that included her sister Eliza Keary, who also became a writer. Annie Keary became known as a novelist, poet, and children's author, and later reference works describe her as an especially inventive writer for younger readers.
She published both fiction and educational works. Her books for children included Mia and Charlie and Sidney Grey, while her adult fiction included Castle Daly, often noted as her best-known novel, along with A Doubting Heart and Oldbury. She also wrote nonfiction, including Early Egyptian History and The Nations Around.
Keary died in Eastbourne on March 3, 1879, her fifty-fourth birthday. Although she is not widely read today, her work still stands out for its combination of storytelling, moral sympathy, and a clear desire to write seriously for both children and adults.