Caroline French Benton

Writing under the name Caroline French Benton, Caroline Frances Burrell, née Benedict, was an American author who died on September 20, 1923. She published a steady stream of practical books in the early 1900s, building a reputation for clear advice on home life, cooking, budgeting, and social organization.

Her works include Gala-Day Luncheons, A Little Cook-Book for a Little Girl, The Mother’s Book, A Little Girl’s Cookery Book (with Mary Florence Hodge), Easy Meals for Many, Living on a Little, and Complete Club Book for Women. Taken together, they show a writer interested in making everyday skills feel manageable and useful, especially for women, families, and younger readers.

What makes her work stand out is its practical spirit. Rather than writing grand theories about domestic life, she focused on the small decisions of daily living—meals, money, household order, and community life—and presented them in a friendly, straightforward way that helped make her books enduringly readable.