Nationality U.S. Movies How Could You, Jean? Period 1902–1919 | Name Eleanor Brainerd Ex-spouse Charles Chisholm Role Author | |
 | ||
Born January 31, 1868Iowa City, Iowa ( 1868-01-31 ) Pen name Eleanor Hoyt; Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd Occupation Novelist, author, reporter, editor Alma mater Cincinnati Wesleyan College Genre Youth literature, novels, memoirs Books Our Little Old Lady, Our Little Old Lady ‑ Scholar's, The personal conduct o, Concerning Belinda, In Vanity Fair: A Tale of Frocks | ||
Parents Louisa Smith, Walter Hoyt | ||
How to pronounce eleanor hoyt brainerd american english us pronouncenames com
Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd (January 31, 1868 – March 18, 1942) was an American author of the early 20th century. She published at least 10 novels, mostly written for young women.
Contents
- How to pronounce eleanor hoyt brainerd american english us pronouncenames com
- Childhood
- Career
- Personal life
- Published novels
- References
Childhood
Eleanor was born at Plum Grove Historic House, the historic home of Robert Lucas, in Iowa City, Iowa. Her parents, Walter Hoyt and Louisa Smith were active in the abolitionist movement, Walter's family helped found the Eleutherian College. Eleanor's 1919 novel, Our Little Old Lady, is a biography of her parents.
Career
Eleanor began her professional career in New York City as a writer and editor for the New York Sun, specializing in fashion writing. Her novel In Vanity Fair drew heavily from her coverage of fashion in Paris and New York. She published extensively in magazines, including Collier's, The Girl's Own Paper, Ladies' Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, and Everybody's Magazine, typically in serial format. Her fictional novels often follow the same formula as the Pollyanna or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm series, in which a young girl, often an orphan, tries to improve the lives of adults through pluck and daring.
Three of Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd's novels were made into silent films, Pegeen (1920), How Could You Jean? (1918), and For Love of Mary Ellen (1915). The most famous of these, How Could You Jean?, was directed by William Desmond Taylor and starred Mary Pickford. It was released in 1918.
Personal life
Many of her novels were written in East Hampton, Connecticut, at her “Faraway Farm” retreat. Eleanor married Charles Chisholm Brainerd, an attorney, in 1904. Charles was the nephew of the well-known writer Margaret Elizabeth Sangster. Charles and Eleanor retired to Pasadena, California, and are buried in Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City.