Martin Ross

Born Violet Florence Martin in County Galway on June 11, 1862, she wrote under the pen name Martin Ross. She is remembered chiefly for her long collaboration with her cousin Edith Somerville, with whom she published as Somerville and Ross.

Together they wrote novels and stories that captured Irish society with wit and sympathy. Their best-known works include The Real Charlotte and the Irish R.M. stories, which became especially popular for their humor and lively picture of rural life.

Martin died on December 21, 1915. Even now, the books she wrote with Somerville are admired for their memorable characters, their feel for place, and their blend of comedy with a sometimes surprisingly sharp view of class, manners, and everyday life.