Frances Eliza Hodgson was born on November 24, 1849, in Manchester, England, as the eldest daughter in a family of five children, comprising two boys and three girls. Her life took a dramatic turn when her father passed away when she was just three years old, leaving her family to face severe financial difficulties. In the absence of proper writing materials, Frances would scribble stories on old notebook sheets as a young girl, showcasing her early talent for creative writing.
In 1865, the Hodgson family relocated to Tennessee, where they resided in a log cabin. During this period, Frances, now a teenager, established a small school and began submitting her stories to women's magazines. Her literary success was remarkable, considering the limited career opportunities available to women during that time.
In 1873, Frances married Dr. Swan Burnett, and they had two sons, Lionel and Vivian, born in 1874 and 1876, respectively. Unfortunately, their marriage was not a happy one. Her younger son, Vivian, would often request stories for boys to read, which inspired Frances to write "Little Lord Fauntleroy," modeled after him.
Tragedy struck the family in 1890 when Frances' eldest son, Lionel, succumbed to influenza. The marital strain became unbearable, and Frances and Swan eventually separated and divorced in 1898. She then remarried Stephen Townshend and moved to Long Island, New York, in 1901.
It was during this period that Frances wrote her most famous works, "A Little Princess" and "The Secret Garden," which drew inspiration from her impoverished childhood and her love for gardening. As she grew older, Frances became increasingly eccentric, but she cherished her grandchildren and continued to write until her death on October 29, 1924.
