
author
1839–1905
A prolific American writer of popular fiction, she published widely for magazines and books and worked under several pen names. Her stories mix quick-moving plots with the lively, accessible style that made nineteenth-century periodicals so addictive.

by Clara Augusta
Born in 1839 and later known as Mrs. Elbridge S. Trask, Clara Augusta Jones Trask was an American author who wrote extensively for magazines and in book form. Sources consistently describe her as a prolific writer, and some note that she published under several pseudonyms, including Clara Augusta, Hero Strong, and Kate Thorn.
Her surviving body of work points to a career shaped by the bustling magazine culture of the nineteenth century, when readers eagerly followed serialized fiction, sensation stories, and domestic dramas. Titles associated with her include The Fatal Glove, Winifred Winthrop; Or, The Lady of Atherton Hall, and Patience Pettigrew's Perplexities.
Although she is not as widely remembered today as some of her contemporaries, her work offers a vivid glimpse into the tastes of her era: fast-paced, plot-driven, and written to keep readers turning pages. For audiobook listeners interested in rediscovering overlooked nineteenth-century fiction, she is an appealing author to explore.