Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton

American author Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton lived from October 30, 1857, to June 14, 1948. A lot of her books take place in California, which is where she lives. In 1923, her best-selling book Black Oxen was turned into a silent movie with the same name. Besides novels, she also wrote short stories, essays, and news stories for magazines and newspapers about war, women, and politics. Gertrude Franklin Horn was born in San Francisco, California, on October 30, 1857. Her parents were Thomas...See more

American author Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton lived from October 30, 1857, to June 14, 1948. A lot of her books take place in California, which is where she lives. In 1923, her best-selling book Black Oxen was turned into a silent movie with the same name. Besides novels, she also wrote short stories, essays, and news stories for magazines and newspapers about war, women, and politics. Gertrude Franklin Horn was born in San Francisco, California, on October 30, 1857. Her parents were Thomas Ludovich Horn and his wife, who used to be Gertrude Franklin. As a tobacco dealer, her father had become well-known in San Francisco, even though he was from Stonington, Connecticut. New Orleans was where her mom was from. When she was two years old, her parents split up. Her maternal grandpa, Stephen Franklin, who was a devout Presbyterian and a relative of Benjamin Franklin, raised her. Grandfather Franklin told her she had to read a lot, which had a big effect on her. She went to high school at St. Mary's Hall in Benicia, California, and for a short time at the Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky. See less