author
M. E. Francis
1859–1930
A prolific Irish novelist who wrote vividly about rural life, family, and faith, she was once described as one of the best-known women novelists of her day. Publishing as M. E. Francis, she produced a long run of popular fiction from the late Victorian period into the early 20th century.
6 Audiobooks
North, South and Over the Sea
by M. E. Francis
Fiander's Widow: A Novel
by M. E. Francis
Stepping Westward
by M. E. Francis
Valéries duenna: En roman på g-strängen
by M. E. Francis
Pastorals of Dorset
by M. E. Francis
Dorset dear : Idylls of country life
by M. E. Francis
About the author
M. E. Francis was the pen name of Mary Elizabeth Blundell, née Sweetman (1859–1930), an Irish novelist born in Dublin. She is remembered for a large body of fiction and for bringing country settings and everyday social life into sharp, readable focus.
After marrying Francis Nicholas Blundell of Little Crosby in Lancashire, she drew on English Catholic and rural surroundings in much of her work. She wrote steadily for many years, and her books found a wide readership at the time; she was even described in later reference sources as one of the best-known women novelists of her day.
Her fiction includes titles such as In a North Country Village, and many of her works remain accessible through public-domain collections today. She also came from a literary family: her sisters Agnes Castle and Elinor Sweetman were writers as well.