Gertrude Atherton (1857 - 1948)
Born in San Francisco, Gertrude Atherton was released from an unhappy marriage when her deceased husband was returned to her in a barrel of rum - an event she recalled in her first novel.
She was a self-schooled expert in matters California and considered an astute cultural critic. She endures as California's first major woman writer of fiction. Her works include: Adventures of a Novelist, The Californians, Rezanov, and Black Oxen.