Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930) was born in Randolph, Massachusetts and spent nearly 50 years in New England. She wrote prolifically, publishing numerous stories, thirteen novels, children's books, a play, and poetry. In 1926 she won the Howells Medal for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. She was one of the first women elected to the membership of the National Institute of Arts & Letters.
