author
Fanny Fern
1811–1872
A witty, sharp-eyed pioneer of newspaper writing, she became one of the most popular American columnists of the mid-19th century. Her work mixed humor, domestic life, and pointed criticism of the limits placed on women.
11 Audiobooks
Fresh Leaves
by Fanny Fern
Fern Leaves from Fanny's Port-folio. Second Series
by Fanny Fern
Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present Time
by Fanny Fern
Ginger-Snaps
by Fanny Fern
Little Ferns For Fanny's Little Friends
by Fanny Fern
A New Story Book for Children
by Fanny Fern
Folly as It Flies; Hit at by Fanny Fern
by Fanny Fern
The Play-day Book: New Stories for Little Folks
by Fanny Fern
Rose Clark
by Fanny Fern
About the author
Born Sara Payson Willis in Portland, Maine, Fanny Fern built her literary life under a pen name that soon became famous. Writing essays, sketches, children's pieces, and fiction, she won a huge readership in the 1850s and 1860s with a voice that felt lively, direct, and fearless.
Her collected pieces in Fern Leaves from Fanny's Portfolio were a major success, and her novel Ruth Hall remains especially well known. The book drew on painful personal experience and helped secure her place as an important American writer who spoke openly about work, money, motherhood, and women's independence.
Fern later became a star columnist for the New York Ledger, where she was celebrated for her humor and candor. Today she is remembered not just for her popularity in her own time, but for the bold, modern energy she brought to journalism and literature.