Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909), novelist and short-story writer, was born and raised in South Berwick, Maine. The daughter of a country doctor, she received a lady’s education but maintained that her real learning came from her father, who fostered her writing talents and let her accompany him on his rounds. At age nineteen, she had her first short story published in the Atlantic Monthly. Her vignettes of the gently perishing glory of the Maine countryside and ports won her a place among the most successful of the local-color writers.
Sarah Orne Jewett is best known for her clean and clear descriptive powers that at once elevate common-place daily events to something remarkable, and lend dignity and grace to the most humble and homely human character.