Kathleen Norris, a renowned American novelist and short-story writer, was born Kathleen Thompson in 1880 to a wealthy family in San Francisco, California. Her father, a bank executive, held the esteemed position of president of the Bohemian Club of San Francisco twice, and Kathleen and her siblings received their education at the family's estate, Treehaven, in Mill Valley, California, courtesy of private tutors and governesses.
However, Kathleen's life took a dramatic turn when her mother suddenly passed away due to pneumonia, followed by her father's untimely death just a month later, leaving the family in a precarious financial situation. To make ends meet, Kathleen took on various jobs, including bookkeeping, teaching, and sales clerking.
To entertain her siblings and generate some extra income, Kathleen invented engaging stories, which she would regale them with. She even submitted one of these stories to the San Francisco Argonaut, a local newspaper, and it was successfully published. This marked the beginning of her writing career, as she soon became the society reporter for the Evening Bulletin newspaper and spent two years as a reporter for the San Francisco Call.
In 1909, Kathleen married Charles Norris, a novelist and the brother of the famous novelist Frank Norris. The couple relocated to New York City, where Charles worked as the art editor for the American Magazine. Kathleen continued to hone her writing skills, submitting a story to the Atlantic Monthly magazine, which was accepted for publication. Her writing career flourished, with her stories appearing in various magazines, solidifying her reputation as a prolific writer.
Eventually, Kathleen and her family returned to California, settling in the town of Saratoga, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Kathleen Norris passed away in 1966 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy as a talented American novelist and short-story writer.
