The author of over 100 titles with over 100 million copies of her books sold over the past twelve decades, Grace is a well-known writer in Christian circles. This prolific author is known for writing novels with strong characters and a definite emphasis on good versus evil as well as living out the Christian faith.
Grace’s Early Years and Family
Grace Livingston was born on April 16, 1865, in Wellsville, New York. Very ill at birth, she barely survived and her parents thus gave her the name of Grace to reflect their Christian faith and gratitude that God had spared her life.
Her father, Reverend Charles Livingston, was a Presbyterian pastor. Her mother, Marcia Macdonald Livingston, was supportive of her husband’s work and enjoyed being a mother. Marcia was also an excellent storyteller and with her sister, Isabella Macdonald Alden, wrote extensively. It was, in fact, her Aunt Belle who put Grace on the path to becoming an author. She gave Grace a bound copy of a story she had dictated to Aunt Belle, The Esselstynes, on her twelfth birthday.
Grace’s first published book was A Chautauqua Idyll. Published in 1887, Grace wrote the book in an effort to earn enough money to take the family to the Chautauqua Lake program in New York when her father’s health had forced them to move to Florida. It was the beginning of a long and productive writing career.
Grace’s Personal Life Like One of Her Books
Grace’s personal life was often tumultuous and almost a story in and of itself. She was actively involved in the establishment of Rollins College in Florida and worked closely with students in the early years. In 1892 Grace married Frank Hill, a Presbyterian minister. Theirs was a happy marriage that included the addition of two daughters, Margaret and Ruth. Tragically, the marriage was cut short by the untimely death of Frank in 1899 due to appendicitis. In addition to this loss, Grace’s father died less than a year later. A later second marriage to a man fifteen years her junior was a disaster and ended in a permanent separation since Grace did not believe divorce was an option for a Christian.
Grace’s writing had been an interesting part of her life up to the point where her husband and father died, but always more of way to earn extra money and use her gifts. But with their deaths, Grace was responsible for supporting not only herself but also two daughters and a mother. This spurred her on to write widely and prolifically for the newspaper, Sunday School materials, newsletters, and the consumer market. She frequently wrote two or three books a year in addition to running a household, teaching her daughters, being actively involved in the life of her church and writing for many other publishing outlets.
Grace's Lasting Contribution to Christian Fiction
Grace’s contribution to the arena of Christian fiction and the romance genre was significant. Even eighty to a hundred years after her books were first published, they are still widely read and collected. Grace Livingston Hill's emphasis on good versus evil still draws people who appreciate a wholesome story that glorifies Christ and usually ends on a happy note.
Sallie Schaaf Borrink - Sallie Borrink is a professional writer with extensive experience with business clients, the consumer market, and online destinations.
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