Ruth Brown MacArthur

Ruth Brown MacArthur was an American author associated with children’s fiction in the early 1900s. Her name is linked to books including At the Little Brown House, and surviving references suggest she was born in 1881.

Very little reliable biographical information about her seems to be widely available online today. Because of that, she stands out as one of those authors whose work has lasted longer in public view than the details of her personal history.

That small mystery can be part of her appeal: her books preserve a gentle, domestic storytelling style that reflects the period in which she wrote, even as much of her life remains hard to trace with confidence.