After discovering that the existing cookbooks of her time were less than helpful, Terhune followed her friends' suggestion and began compiling her own tested recipes, which she wrote in a more accessible manner. Marion Harland's Cookery for Beginners was one of these works. Known by her penname Marion Harland, American author Mary Virginia Terhune wrote some notable bestselling works in fiction and non-fiction genres. Contents include: Home-made Yeast and the first Loaf Bread Sponge and Breakfast Breads Breakfast Breads Other Breakfast Breads Eggs Broiled Meats Fried Meats What to do with Left-overs Other Dinner Dishes Meats Vegetables Desserts Cake-making