Grace Livingston Hill

Grace Livingston Hill (April 16, 1865–February 23, 1947) was an American novelist and short-story writer who also published under the pseudonym Marcia Macdonald. Born in Wellsville, New York, she grew up in a literary and religious family: her father was a Presbyterian minister, and her aunt was the writer Isabella Macdonald Alden, known as “Pansy.”

Hill began writing as a child, contributing stories to her aunt’s children’s publication, The Pansy. Her first book-form story appeared in 1877, and she later built a long career writing popular fiction, including Marcia Schuyler, Phoebe Deane, Dawn of the Morning, and Cloudy Jewel.

Her novels are known for Christian themes, moral challenges, romance, and characters who find strength through faith. With their accessible style and message of hope, her books made her one of the most widely read Christian fiction authors of the early twentieth century.