Harold Frederic (1856-1898) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in Utica, New York, he was raised by his mother following his father’s tragic death in a railroad accident. At fifteen, he found work as a photographer in Utica before moving to Boston, later changing careers to become a reporter for The Utica Daily Observer. Frederic married Grace Green in 1877 and by 1882 was the editor of The Albany Evening Journal, raising his five children in the state capital. In 1884, he moved to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Times, sending for his family to join him after five years apart. In 1896, while living with his mistress Kate Lyon, Frederic published his bestselling novel The Damnation of Theron Ware, proving himself as a gifted American writer working in the realist tradition. At the height of his literary career, Frederic suffered a sudden stroke in London and died shortly thereafter.