Jane Ludlow Drake Abbott (July 10, 1881 – December 13, 1962) was an American writer who published more than 35 books. She started writing children's books when her own children were small and later went on to write adult novels. Many of her books were written primarily for girls, but had broad appeal for the whole family. Biography Jane Ludlow Drake was born on July 10, 1881 in Buffalo, New York, to Captain Marcus Motier Drake and his second wife, Mary A. Ludlow. Her family was involved in shipbuilding and sailing, and Jane spent much of her childhood on and near the Great Lakes. She attended Cornell University from 1899-1902, working for two years as part of the editorial staff of the graduate newspaper. On December 21, 1902, Jane married Frank Addison Abbott, a former Cornell student and lawyer from Buffalo who later served as District Attorney of Erie County (1906-1908). They had three children. Jane Abbott began writing books for children, later writing fiction for adults. She published about twenty books for boys and girls, and about fifteen novels for adults. Many of her books were written primarily for girls, but had broad appeal, combining "fun, family life, adventure and mystery in just the right proportions". They were praised as being "natural", "good, wholesome books", "brimming with life, but clean in their conception and their language". Main works Keineth, 1918 Larkspur, 1919 Highacres, 1920 Happy House, 1920 Aprilly, 1921 Red-Robin, 1922 Fidelis, 1923 Minglestreams, 1923 Laughing Last, 1924 Juliet Is Twenty, 1926 Heyday, 1928 Beggarman, 1930 Merridy Road, 1930 Kitty Frew, 1931 Bouquet Hill, 1931 The Young Dalfreys, 1932 Silver Fountain, 1932 Miss Jolley's Family, 1933 Dicket: A Story Of Friendships, 1933 Fiddler's Coin, 1934 Folly Farm, 1934 Low Bridge, 1935 Strangers In The House, 1935 Benefit Street, 1936 Angels May Weep, 1937 A Row Of Starts, 1937 Singing Shadows, 1938 To Have, To Keep, 1939 Clo, 1940 Lorrie, 1941 Yours For The Asking, 1943 Mary Patten's Daughters, 1945 The Outsiders, 1948 River's Rim, 1950 The Neighbors, 1952 The Inheritors, 1953 The Open Way, 1955 References External links The Inventory of the Jane Abbott Collection #630, Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University 1881 births 1962 deaths Writers from Buffalo, New York 20th-century American women writers Cornell University alumni