Grace Aguilar, 1816-1847

Born in Hackney to Jewish parents of Spanish descent, Grace Aguilar was a novelist and writer on Jewish history and religion. She had delicate health from infancy and was chiefly educated at home, developing a great interest in the history of the Jewish race, and an aptitude for music. She began writing at an early age; in her twelfth year she wrote a drama entitled 'Gustavus Vasa' and at fifteen began a series of poems that was published in the collection 'Magic Wreath' in 1835. In the same year she was attacked by a severe illness from which she never completely recovered. Her health also declined when, as a result of her father's death, she was forced to depend on her writings for a portion of her livelihood until her death twelve years later. Her chief work on the Jewish religion was 'Spirit of Judaism', first published in America in 1842. Other works include: 'The Jewish Faith', 'The Women of Israel' and 'Sabbath Thoughts and Sacred Communings'. Grace Aguilar is, however, better known for her novels which, with the exception of 'Home Influence, a tale for mothers and daughters', were published after her death. Her novels, 'A Mother's Recompense', 'Vale of Cedars', 'Woman's Friendship', 'Days of Bruce, a story from Scottish history', and 'Home Scenes and Heart Studies', are highly sentimental, intensely religious, and mainly deal with the ordinary incidents of domestic life.