Mary Jane Holmes was a 19th century author. She was born in Massachusetts and taught school at age 13. After marring she moved to Kentucky. In 1854 she wrote her first novel, Tempest and Sunshine. Her novels center around domestic life. Lena River was written in 1856. Lena is not the typical heroine of the 19th century. She has spunk and a temper. She is beautiful and there are tears and laughs in her story. The supporting characters give this book a lot of humor. Grandma Nichols is the ultimate redneck. If you must have political correctness in your books then this book is not for you. The humor and language surrounding the black slaves is correct if read in the context of the time period in mind.