Frances Parkinson Keyes

Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1885 and raised in New England, she became one of the most widely read popular novelists of her time. She married Senator Henry Wilder Keyes of New Hampshire and spent years in Washington, D.C., an experience that informed some of her nonfiction and political writing.

She published many novels, biographies, and memoirs, but is especially remembered for historical and regional fiction. After visiting New Orleans in 1940, she became strongly attached to the city and later set several well-known books there, including Dinner at Antoine's.

Her work was known for rich settings, careful research, and an interest in American history and local culture. She died in New Orleans in 1970, leaving behind a large body of fiction and nonfiction that helped keep regional storytelling popular with a broad audience.