Isabella Macdonald-Alden

Isabella Macdonald Alden (pen name Pansy) was an American author born in Rochester, New York, in 1841, who wrote over 100 didactic Christian fiction books, primarily for children and Sunday school audiences, emphasizing moral and religious principles. Homeschooled by her father, she began publishing at age ten and gained fame with her first book 'Helen Lester' in 1865, later editing 'The Pansy' magazine and contributing to the Chautauqua movement. She continued writing until her death in 1930, with her unfinished autobiography completed by her niece Grace Livingston Hill.