author
Helen Wells
1910–1986
Best known for the Cherry Ames novels, this American writer helped shape generations of young readers’ ideas about nursing, adventure, and mystery. She also wrote the early Vicki Barr books, bringing the same brisk, capable spirit to a different heroine.
2 Audiobooks
The Clue of the Gold Coin
by Helen Wells
The Silver Ring Mystery
by Helen Wells
About the author
Born in Danville, Illinois, in 1910, Helen Wells became a popular writer for young readers and is most closely associated with the Cherry Ames series. She wrote the first seven books in the series and later returned for volumes 17 through 27, helping make Cherry one of the memorable career heroines of mid-20th-century juvenile fiction.
Wells also wrote the first four Vicki Barr novels and has been credited with the final book in that series as well. Some sources describe her as having worked as a social worker before or alongside her writing career, a background that fits the practical, service-minded characters she became known for.
She died in New York City in 1986. Though not always a household name today, her books remained widely read for years and are still remembered for their mix of independence, work, and mystery.