Marshall Saunders

Born in Milton, Nova Scotia, in 1861, Margaret Marshall Saunders grew up in a Baptist minister’s family and was educated in Nova Scotia, Scotland, and France. She went on to become a prolific Canadian writer of children's stories and novels, while also building a public reputation as a lecturer and advocate for animal welfare.

Her best-known book, Beautiful Joe (1893), was inspired by the true story of a mistreated dog and became an international bestseller. It is widely noted as the first Canadian book to sell more than a million copies, and its success made her one of Canada’s most widely read authors of her era.

Saunders remained active in social and humanitarian causes throughout her life, especially in animal protection and women’s organizations. In 1934 she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and she died in Toronto in 1947, leaving behind a body of work remembered for its warmth, moral conviction, and sympathy for animals.