The Gorgeous Isle

Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, an influential American author, is known for her novels set in California and her exploration of themes like feminism and politics. Her notable work, Black Oxen, achieved bestseller status and was adapted into a silent film. Atherton began her literary career with the serialized romance "The Randolphs of Redwood," which led to familial ostracism upon her revelation as the author. After moving to New York and traveling to London, she returned to California, where she continued to write novels, essays, and short stories.