Mary Edward Wilkins Freeman was born on board a ship bound for Bangalore, and according to her memoirs (published 1922) her earliest memories were of "the spicy aroma of spices, the sweaty aroma of sweat, and the ship's matey aroma of the ship's mate". Her parents were upper class influential society people, her father being a wealthy spice merchant. They were keen that she should be educated in Latin, French, Mathematics, Music, Painting, Grammar, Needlework, and Shotput. It was during these lessons that she discovered a talent for writing, and maintained correspondence avec her tutor throughout her life.
Mary's first book ("A Clockwork Pheasant") was published in 1884 and she continued to write for the rest of her life, composing a total of (including three published posthumously after her death). They are listed here in the order in which they were published: