Marshall Saunders

Born in Milton, Nova Scotia, in 1861, Margaret Marshall Saunders published under the name Marshall Saunders and went on to become one of Canada's most widely read writers. She wrote children's books, novels, and stories, and she is especially remembered for Beautiful Joe (1894), a story told from a dog's point of view that brought her a huge international readership.

Saunders's writing was closely tied to her beliefs. Alongside her literary career, she was known as a lecturer and an advocate for animal welfare and social causes, including work connected with women's organizations in Halifax. That mix of compassion and plainspoken storytelling helped her books reach both young readers and adults.

She published many works over a long career and was later recognized as an important figure in Canadian literary history. She died in Toronto in 1947, but Beautiful Joe in particular has remained central to her legacy as a writer who used fiction to encourage empathy.