author
Belle Belleville
A little-known late-19th-century writer, Belle Belleville created imaginative holiday tales that blend New Year reflections, Christmas sentiment, philosophy, and historical fantasy. The surviving record centers on a single story collection, offering a rare glimpse into a distinctive literary voice of the period.
1 Audiobook
The written leaves : A story of the new year and other holiday stories
by Belle Belleville
About the author
Belle Belleville is credited in bibliographic records as Belleville, Belle. The author’s known work is The Written Leaves: A Story of the New Year and Other Holiday Stories, originally published by Robert Clarke & Co. in Cincinnati in 1890, with a copyright date of 1892.
The collection brings together four pieces: “A Story of the New Year,” “The Christmas Card,” “The Advent of the New Year,” and “Cleopatra in Hades.” Together, they mix seasonal storytelling with questions about morality, history, human progress, religion, and the mysteries of life.
Very little biographical information about Belle Belleville has been preserved, and The Written Leaves appears to be the author’s only widely documented publication. Its revival in the public domain gives modern readers an opportunity to rediscover an unusual voice from American literary history.