Black Oxen

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 bestseller, Black Oxen, was adapted into a silent film. Atherton began her literary career with "The Randolphs of Redwood," which led to personal ostracism after revealing her authorship. She moved to New York in 1888, leaving her daughter behind, and later traveled to London before returning to California. Her first novel, What Dreams May Come, was published the same year.