Allee, Marjorie Hill

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ALLEE, Marjorie Hill

Born 2 June 1890, Carthage, Indiana; died 30 April 1945, Chicago, Illinois

Daughter of William and Anna Elliott Hill; married WarderClyde Allee, 1912

Marjorie Hill Allee grew up on an Indiana farm in a community of Quakers whose ancestors had migrated northward from the Carolinas to escape the environment of slavery. At the age of eighteen, having completed high school and two years at Earlham College, Allee taught all eight grades in the one-room school which she had attended as a child. The following year she enrolled at the University of Chicago, determined to become a writer.

Allee's apprentice work includes the publication of numerous articles, reviews, and stories, as well as collaboration with her husband on Jungle Island (1925), a nonfiction book for children which describes the plants and animals on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal. Between 1929 and 1945 Allee published 14 novels for older juvenile readers. Her characters are usually young women just beginning to confront the personal discords and social problems of adult life.

Working from memoirs and personal histories, Allee wrote six novels depicting Quaker families caught in the turmoil of changing values during the mid-19th century. These novels portray a vivid picture of American life between 1840 and 1875, and they present a multifaceted view of slavery. Allee presents both ideological and personal conflicts with clarity, restraint, and impartiality.

Three of Allee's historical books recount the struggles of widow Charity Lankester and her eight daughters to earn their own living after freeing their slaves and selling their estate. While daughter Judith nurses a neighbor's child and slowly masters a few homemaking skills (Judith Lankester, 1930), her older sister Catherine teaches in a one-room school, outwitting unruly boys, nurturing neglected girls, rescuing a former slave from an angry mob, and establishing a home in a tiny cabin (A House of Her Own, 1934).

In Susanna and Tristram (1929), orphaned sixteen-year-old Susanna Coffin assumes responsibility for her younger brother. She becomes a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, meeting escaping slaves at the boat and driving them northward.

In reaction against the dormitory dance-drink-drive formula for the college novel, Allee wrote The Great Tradition (1937). Much of this novel takes place in a biology laboratory, and it depicts young women engaged in serious study and research at the University of Chicago. The Great Tradition and The House (1944) explore the problems of harmonious relations between individuals of differing ages, social backgrounds, and races. The House received an award from the Child Study Association for the honesty and courage with which it faces the problems of young people.

Two of Allee's novels take place in settings of unusual interest to the naturalist. Jane's Island (1931), a Newberry honor book, describes the unspoiled beauty of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where scientists study marine biology with inadequate equipment but disciplined dedication. Ann's Surprising Summer (1933) takes place in the dune country of northern Indiana, where biologists strive to preserve a portion of the dunes as a natural habitat.

Allee's female characters demonstrate a deep sensitivity to the needs of others, and are unusually competent and resourceful in solving practical problems. They are not restricted to traditional activities and roles.

Other Works:

The Road to Carolina (1932). Off to Philadelphia (1936). The Little American Girl (1938). Runaway Linda (1939). The Camp at Westlands (1941). Winter's Mischief (1942). Smoke Jumper (1945).