Eleanor H. Porter was an American novelist best known for Pollyanna (1913), considered a classic of children's literature, and Just David (1916), which was among the top six bestsellers in cities across the United States in 1916.
Eleanor Emily Hodgman Porter was born in Littleton, New Hampshire. She was the daughter of Llewella French (née Woolson) and Francis Fletcher Hodgman. Porter trained as a singer and attended the New England Conservatory for several years. In 1892, she married John Lyman Porter and moved to Massachusetts, where she began writing.
Porter's writing career began with short stories. Her first full-length novel was Cross Currents (1907). It was followed by The Turn of the Tide (1908) and The Story of Marco (1911). Miss Billy (1911) was her first commercial success, followed by Miss Billy's Decision (1912) and Miss Billy Married (1914).
Pollyanna (1913) brought Porter international acclaim. The main character is Pollyanna Whittier, an eleven-year-old orphan who goes to live in the town of Beldingsville, Vermont, with her aunt Polly Harrington. Pollyanna's aunt doesn't want to take her in, but she feels it's her duty to her late sister. Pollyanna's philosophy of life is "The Glad Game," an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. The game is about finding something to be glad about in every situation. It started when Pollyanna, who wanted a doll in the missionary barrel, found a pair of crutches instead. Her father taught her to look for the good in things. In this case, she was glad she didn't need the crutches.
The success of Pollyanna led Porter to write a sequel, Pollyanna Grows Up (1915). Eleven more Pollyanna books were published, most written by Elizabeth Borton or Harriet Lummis Smith. The novel inspired "Glad Clubs," and adaptations were made for theater, television, and film.
Her next successful novel, Just David (1916), follows the life of another orphan who transforms those he meets. Porter continued to write successful books, including The Road to Understanding (1917), Oh Money! Money! (1918), Dawn (1919), and Mary Marie (1920).
She also wrote adventure and romance novels for adults, including Keith's Dark Tower (1919) and Sister Sue (1921). Her short story collections include Across the Years (c. 1919), Money, Love and Kate (1923), and Little Pardner (1926).
Pollyanna was one of the best-selling novels in the United States from 1913 to 1915. Just David was third in 1916, The Road to Understanding was fourth in 1917, and Oh Money! Money! was fifth in 1918. Porter's success was considerable; Pollyanna was printed 47 times between 1915 and 1920.
Eleanor Hodgman Porter died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 21, 1920. She was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
