For my June author, I thought I would feature someone I’ve been fond of for many years but who is no longer with us. I first heard of Eleanor Frances Lattimore more than ten years ago when a friend gave my son Jake an old copy of the children’s book, Little Pear.
I soon found more books in the series as well as others she’d written about China. Some were published in the 1930s–pre-PRC–and many afterwards. Her stories set in China are very culturally-sensitive and show China from eyes of a young child. Little Pear is always getting into trouble with his best friend, Big Head. The boys live in the countryside, but ride a donkey to school.
I was curious about Eleanor Lattimore, so I did a little research and learned that she was born in Shanghai in 1904. Her father taught at a university there, but when he was offered a job at Dartmouth in 1920–when Eleanor was 16–the family returned to the US.
She must have had a fabulous memory because her books set in China are so vivid and make it seem like she was writing from the countryside there. I don’t see any record that she returned to China–at least not to live–after she repatriated to the US in her teenage years.
Hi Susan, I stumbled on your post today. Eleanor Frances Lattimore was my grandmother. She moved back to the United States in 1921, went to art school and published Little Pear in 1931. She married Robert Armstrong Andrews and had 2 boys, Michael and Peter. Michael Andrews was my father. She was a wonderful person and I am glad you enjoy her books.
Hi Steve, Wow! Thank you so much for your email! This is wonderful to hear. I still have the Little Pear books I found for my kids over a decade ago! They are truly a treasure!