Esther Forbes

A. Scott Henderson (Furman University)

Ed. by Dainy Bernstein, University of Pennsylvania
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.3: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

Born 28 Jun 1891
Died 12 Aug 1967
Activity 1911-1967

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Activities

Primary

Biographer
Novelist

Resources

Forbes' Works

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Esther Forbes (b. 1891) was a U.S. writer best known for her historical novels and biographical works published in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, especially the novel

Johnny Tremain

. Her books were popular among the reading public and received several literary honors, including the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1943 and the John Newbery Medal in 1944.

Forbes was the youngest of William Forbes and Harriet Merrifield’s five surviving children. She was born in Westboro, Massachusetts, and the family moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1898. Her father was a successful lawyer, and her mother gave talks and wrote books about Massachusetts history. Beginning in early childhood, Forbes showed an interest in both oral and written storytelling, especially stories with historical themes, including

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2216 words

Citation: Henderson, A. Scott. "Esther Forbes". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 June 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1581, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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