Susan E. (Susan Elston) Wallace

Born Susan Arnold Elston on December 25, 1830, she was an American author and poet who later became known as Susan E. Wallace. She married Lew Wallace, the Civil War general, diplomat, and novelist best known for Ben-Hur, and the two were part of prominent literary and political circles in Indiana and beyond.

She wrote poetry, travel writing, and books drawn from her experiences in the United States and overseas. Her writing is often noted for its firsthand detail and its picture of 19th-century society, especially the places and people she encountered during extensive travel.

Wallace died on October 1, 1907. Though she is sometimes remembered alongside her famous husband, she was a published and accomplished writer in her own right, with a body of work that reflects curiosity, wit, and a strong sense of place.