author
Margarita Spalding Gerry
1870–1939
A Washington-born novelist and short-story writer, she paired literary work with public service in the nation’s capital. Her fiction often blended romance, history, and keen observation of American life.
1 Audiobook
The Toy Shop: A Romantic Story of Lincoln the Man
by Margarita Spalding Gerry
About the author
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1870, Margarita Spalding Gerry became known as an American writer of novels and short stories. She studied at Wellesley College and later taught in Washington before turning to a long writing career.
Her books included romantic and historical fiction, and her work appeared during the early 20th century, when magazine publication and popular novels reached wide audiences. She is especially remembered for stories that brought together lively plotting with a strong sense of place and period.
Gerry also took part in civic life, serving on the Board of Education in Washington, D.C. That mix of literary and public work gives her career an added dimension: she was not only a storyteller, but also an active figure in her community.