author
Mrs. Dowdall
1876–1939
Sharp-eyed and quietly witty, these early 20th-century novels explore marriage, domestic life, and women’s inner worlds with a thoughtful, critical touch.
3 Audiobooks
About the author
Mary Frances Harriet Dowdall, who published as Mrs. Dowdall, was an English writer born in London in 1876. She wrote both fiction and nonfiction, and her small body of novels has been noted for its clear-eyed, often critical view of marriage.
Her best-known books include The Book of Martha, Three Loving Ladies, and Joking Apart. She also illustrated at least some of her work, including Joking Apart, which points to a creative range beyond her writing alone.
Dowdall died in 1939. Although she is not widely known today, her fiction still stands out for its intelligence, restraint, and interest in the pressures of everyday emotional life.