Phyllis

Hungerford (nee Hamilton, 1855-97) was an Irish novelist whose light romantic fiction was popular throughout the English-speaking world in the late 19th century. Her first husband with whom she had three daughters died within six years of their marriage and she wrote Phyllis, her first novel published in 1877, to support the fatherless family. Soon after its favourable reception she wrote Molly Bawn which became her best-known work. Her second marriage brought three more children and Hungerford successfully combined her career as a prolific novelist and short story writer with caring for her sizeable family.