Gertrude Atherton 
Daughter of the Vine 

Originally serialised in a magazine under the title ‘The Randolphs of Redwood: A Romance’, Gertrude Atherton’s ‘A Daughter of the Vine’ was published as a full-length book in 1899. So scandalous was the serialisation at the time that it caused much friction between Atherton and her family when she revealed herself to be the author. The story centres around the Randolph family and their move from England to San Francisco. Full of strong female characters, it was a novel which shocked readers of the time, and which today is a compelling romance and an American classic. –