Because her first famous book, "The Rosary," which in little less than two years achieved the prodigious sale of 350,000 copies, was issued by an American firm of publishers, it is commonly believed that Mrs. Florence L. Barclay is an American. As a matter of fact, she belongs to a very old English family, the Charlesworths, which has an unbroken record in the Church since the days of Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. Barclay, who is nearly fifty years of age, lives in Hertfordshire, her husband being the vicar of Hertford Heath. It was not until 1909 that she began to write. " The Rosary " was the result, which, although at first it did not attract much attention, steadily gained world-wide popularity on account of the unusual literary ability it displayed and the great human interest of the story told. This book was ultimately followed by " The Mistress of Shenstone," and " The Following of the Star," which promise to be equally successful.

Mrs. Florence Barclay