Caroline Lee Hentz
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Brief Biography
Caroline Lee Hentz was a native of Lancaster, Massachusetts. She demonstrated her talent for writing at a young age, crafting plays during her early adolescence. By the time she was seventeen years old, she was a teacher and was known locally for her poems and stories. She married Nicholas Hentz when she was twenty-four years old, and the couple resided in various locations as Nicholas pursued his career in teaching and academia. While living in Covington, Kentucky, Caroline wrote the play De Lara: or, The Moorish Bride, winning a contest but receiving only partial compensation. Caroline continued writing, publishing novels, short stories, and articles. The couple moved to various cities in Alabama, including Florence, Tuscaloosa, and Tuskegee, so Nicholas could further his career in teaching and academia while Caroline continued writing. Her writings gained popularity, with her books becoming bestsellers of the era. She passed away in Florida in 1856, and her children published additional collections of her short stories posthumously.
Publications
Lovell's Folly. Cincinnati, Ohio; Hubbard and Edmands, 1833.
Aunt Patty's Scrap Bag. Philadelphia; Carey and Hart, 1846.
Ugly Effie, or The Neglected One and the Pet Beauty. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1850.
The Mob Cap. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1852.
Eoline: or, Magnolia Vale. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson, 1852.
The Victim of Excitement. Philadelphia, Penn.; A. Hart, 1853.
Wild Jack; or, The Stolen Child, and Other Stories. Philadelphia, Penn.; A. Hart, 1853.
Linda; or, The Young Pilot of the Belle Creole: A Tale of Southern Life. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1853.
Helen and Arthur; or, Miss Thusa's Spinning-Wheel. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1853.
The Hermit of Rockrest. Sl; sn, 1853.
The Planter's Northern Bride. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1854.
Marcus Warland, or, The Long Moss Spring: A Tale of the South. London; Nelson, 1854.
Robert Graham; A Sequel to Linda. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1855.
The Banished Son, and other Stories of the Heart. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Courtship and Marriage, or The Joys and Sorrows of an American Life. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Ernest Linwood; or, The Inner Life of the Author. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Love after Marriage; and Other Stories. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1857.
Rena; or, The Snow Bird. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson & Brothers, 1869.
Aunt Patty's Scrap Bag. Philadelphia; Carey and Hart, 1846.
Ugly Effie, or The Neglected One and the Pet Beauty. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1850.
The Mob Cap. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1852.
Eoline: or, Magnolia Vale. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson, 1852.
The Victim of Excitement. Philadelphia, Penn.; A. Hart, 1853.
Wild Jack; or, The Stolen Child, and Other Stories. Philadelphia, Penn.; A. Hart, 1853.
Linda; or, The Young Pilot of the Belle Creole: A Tale of Southern Life. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1853.
Helen and Arthur; or, Miss Thusa's Spinning-Wheel. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1853.
The Hermit of Rockrest. Sl; sn, 1853.
The Planter's Northern Bride. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1854.
Marcus Warland, or, The Long Moss Spring: A Tale of the South. London; Nelson, 1854.
Robert Graham; A Sequel to Linda. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1855.
The Banished Son, and other Stories of the Heart. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Courtship and Marriage, or The Joys and Sorrows of an American Life. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Ernest Linwood; or, The Inner Life of the Author. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1856.
Love after Marriage; and Other Stories. Philadelphia, Penn.; TB Peterson & Bros, 1857.
Rena; or, The Snow Bird. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson & Brothers, 1869.
Themes
Caroline Lee Hentz was best known for writing short stories and novels, but she also wrote plays and poetry. She was Alabama's first best-selling writer and helped popularize women's domestic fiction. Themes in her writing include male jealousy, love, and marriage.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Hentz, Caroline Lee, “Caroline Lee Hentz,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/606.