Kathleen Thompson Norris was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. Norris was a prolific writer, having written 93 novels, many of which were great sellers. Her stories were published often in the popular press of the time, including The Atlantic, The American Magazine, McClure's, Everybody's, Ladies' Home Journal, and Woman's Home Companion. Norris' novels promoted family and moralistic principles such as the sanctity of marriage, the dignity of motherhood, and the significance of service to others. Kathleen Thompson Norris was born in San Francisco, California, on July 16, 1880. Her parents were Josephine (n e Moroney) and James Alden Thompson. When she was 19, both of her parents died. As the oldest sibling, she was essentially the head of a huge family and had to work. She first worked in a retail store, then in an accounting office, and last at the Mechanic's Institute Library. In 1905, she enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley's creative writing program and started creating short stories. In September 1906, the San Francisco Call, which had previously published several of her stories, engaged her to write a society column.