Ouida

Born Maria Louise Ramé in Bury St Edmunds, England, on January 1, 1839, she became famous under the pen name Ouida, a name often said to have grown from a childhood way of pronouncing "Louise." She was an English novelist who went on to publish more than 40 novels, along with short stories, children's books, and essays.

Ouida found wide success in the Victorian era with highly colored, emotional fiction about fashionable life, romance, and moral conflict. Among her best-known works are Under Two Flags and A Dog of Flanders. Later in life she was also known for strong views on social issues, including animal welfare.

She spent much of her later life in Italy and died in Viareggio on January 25, 1908. Her career mixed literary popularity, theatrical style, and sharp social feeling, which helps explain why her books still stand out today.