Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (October 30, 1857 – June 14, 1948) was an American author.Paterson, Isabel, "Gertrude Atherton: A Personality"
'The Bookman, New York, February 1924, (pgs. 632-636) Many of her novels are set in her home state of California. Her bestseller Black Oxen (1923) was made into a silent movie of the same name. In addition to novels, she wrote short stories, essays, and articles for magazines and newspapers on such issues as feminism, politics, and war.