Hill's bio according to Wikipedia:

Grace Livingston Hill was an early 20th-century novelist and wrote both under her real name and the pseudonym Marcia Macdonald. She wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories. Her characters were most often young female Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.

Miss Hill wrote for a very specific genre and marketed to a very specific demographic. While I would have to say, some of her books can be enjoyed by both sexes and make awesome family read-alouds, in a lot of cases, they were specifically written with the thought to entertain and encourage young Christian women, or even just young women in general in their faith.

Grace Livingston Hill Photo Credit: https://gracelivingstonhill.com/

She writes with a forgotten simplicity. While her books may not hold up to the scrutiny and would probably meet the disapproval of most modern critics for their on-the-nose and sometimes roundabout storytelling, her books were excellent teaching methods and tools used for the purpose of explaining the gospel. They encouraged average people to rise above their adverse circumstances and to approach life with a hope and light that we have available to us through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Her Works

Over the course of one hundred novels, of which I have probably read at least two-thirds, she has approached many different topics relating to not only faith, but also society. She learned a lot from her aunt who is also another of my favorite authors and who will also be featured in this series, Isabella "Pansy" McDonald Alden. We all know Dickens was a progressive writer who sought to draw attention to unjust societal issues, but Grace Livingston Hill also followed in his footsteps. With books that spanned many issues such as forced labor, child labor, drug and alcohol abuse, war, loss, grief, poverty, peer pressure, and others, it is little wonder that her books were constantly being published.

With both male and female main characters, her stories approached many different aspects of life and were able to entertain and uplift many a soul. I discovered her through my previously mentioned favorite author, Isabella Alden, and have since read so many of her books that I often lose track. I own quite a few of the original publications and have many more on Kindle, which I am pleased to say offers many of them for free. I read so many of her books when I was in my teens but have since been re-reading my favorites. If you love inspiring tales of times past, with the taste of someone who has actually lived history, you will love these subtle, sweet romance and adventure stories.

Here is a list of some of my favorites.

Duskin - First Published in 1929

This high stakes tale of intrigue, corrupt business, and finding someone to trust had me turning the pages long into the night!

By Way of the Silverthorns - First Published in 1941

McRae Silverthorn and her brother, Lincoln, have a way of getting mixed up in the troubled lives of their friends. What new developments will a gathering for a dear friend's wedding bring?

The Red Signal - First Published in 1919

This exciting tale of a young girl thrust upon employers whom she is sure are German spies during World War I was so exciting, I couldn’t seem to put it down!

A Voice in the Wilderness - First Published in 1916

A young girl on her way to teach school out west, finds herself lost in the wilderness until she is picked up by a lone man, whom she soon finds only has his best interests at heart. Terrified, she takes off on her own and has to survive on her own until she meets a cowboy who she isn’t sure she can trust.

Aunt Crete’s Emancipation - First Published in 1911

This sweet story still goes down as one of my all-time favorites by Miss Hill! Every time I see the title, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling. Some might call it a Cinderella story, but when Poor Aunt Crete who is overworked by her sister and niece is the only one at home to greet their long-lost nephew, things take a turn for the better when he turns out to be an honorable and wealthy man who thinks it is about time Aunt Crete gets some well-deserved love. Seriously, this one is my favorite.



I hope you enjoyed this article and that you will search out these forgotten titles and partake of their beauty for yourself. Make sure to join me next time for the next installment of Forgotten Treasures.

~Victoria Lynn