Jeanette Eaton
Jeanette Eaton was an influential children's author born in 1886 in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from Vassar College in 1908 and later earned an M.A. from Ohio State University in 1910. Eaton is best known for her biographies aimed at young adults, offering engaging narratives about historical figures. Her notable works include "A Daughter of the Seine: The Life of Madame Roland," which received a Newbery Honor in 1930 for its compelling portrayal of the French revolutionary Marie-Jean Philipon. Throughout her career, Eaton was recognized four times with Newbery Honor Book designations, including for "Leader by Destiny: George Washington, Man and Patriot" and "Lone Journey: The Life of Roger Williams." She also penned "Gandhi: Fighter Without a Sword," which won honors in 1951, demonstrating her ability to adapt her writing style to suit her subjects. Additionally, her book "America's Own Mark Twain" earned the Ohioana Award in 1959, reflecting her unique perspective on Twain's literary themes. Eaton passed away in 1968, leaving a legacy of accessible and educational literature for young readers.
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Jeanette Eaton
Nonfiction Writer and Biographer
- Born: November 30, 1886
- Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
- Died: February 19, 1968
Biography
Children’s author Jeanette Eaton was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886. She completed her undergraduate degree at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1908. She then returned to Columbus and earned an M.A. from Ohio State University in 1910.
Eaton wrote numerous biographies for young adults. Her book A Daughter of the Seine: The Life of Madame Roland (1929) was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1930. The book recounted the life of the eighteenth century French revolutionary Marie-Jean Philipon. Although some critics considered her writing melodramatic, Eaton did not spare readers a description of Philipon’s last minutes before her execution.
Eaton received three other Newbery Honor Book designations from the American Library Association. Leader by Destiny: George Washington, Man and Patriot, published in 1938, was cited as an honor book in 1939. The book is Eaton’s account of Washington’s life, including his friendship with Sally Fairfax, with whom he may have had an extramarital affair. In 1945, she received Newbery honors for Lone Journey: The Life of Roger Williams (1944), a biography of the man who founded Rhode Island. Gandhi: Fighter Without a Sword (1950) won Newbery honors in 1951. If Eaton’s prose sometimes bordered on the overblown, this biography of Mahatma Gandhi was written in a more muted and understated style, perhaps in deference to her nonviolent, self-effacing subject.
Another of her juvenile biographies, America’s Own Mark Twain (1958), earned the 1959 Ohioana Award. Eaton’s ability to write books for young readers gave her a special insight about Twain, who wrote novels about children. Eaton died in 1968.