The Californians

Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, an influential American author, is known for her novels set in California, including the bestseller Black Oxen, which inspired a silent film. Her literary contributions extend to short stories, essays, and articles addressing feminism, politics, and war. Atherton's career began with "The Randolphs of Redwood," published under a pseudonym, leading to familial ostracism. After relocating to New York and traveling to London, she returned to California, where she published her first novel, What Dreams May Come, in 1888.