Frances Mary PeardBetween 1867 and 1909, Frances Mary Peard wrote more than 40 story books for kids and adults. She was born on May 16, 1835, and died on October 5, 1923. Most of them were books or collections of short stories set in the United States. Many of them wee historical and took place abroad. Commander George Shuldham Peard (1793-1837), a navy officer who went to the Arctic to look for Sir John Franklin, and Frances Cooke (née Ellicombe, 1805-1895) had five children; two of them died young. She was born in Exminster, Devon. Joshua Peard was her grandpa, and John Whitehead Peard was her uncle. Her brother George Shuldham Peard (1829-1918), who was also an artist, had served in the Crimean War. Since she comes from a family of famous soldiers and sailors, it's not a surprise that fights and military themes show up a lot in her stories. She seems to have traveled a lot, maybe even as far as India. But in her later years, she lived with her mother in Torquay, Devon. French author Frances Peard wrote books for kids of all ages, including fiction for adults. She got ideas for her books from her trips, especially in France and India. Read More Read Less