Josephine Chase (c. 1878–1931) was a prolific American author of children's and young adult fiction during the early twentieth century. Born in Pennsylvania to Edward H. and Mary Arrner Chase, she spent her life in her home state and never married. Writing under a variety of pseudonyms, Chase became a staple of the era's popular series book market, crafting engaging narratives that captivated young readers, particularly girls, during the 1910s and 1920s.\n\nChase is most famous for her twenty-seven-volume Grace Harlowe series, published between 1910 and 1924 under the pen name Jessie Graham Flower. This extensive saga followed its titular heroine chronologically through four distinct phases of life: high school, college, service overseas, and adventures with the Overland Riders. Unlike typical coming-of-age protagonists who develop over time, Grace Harlowe was presented as an established role model and paragon of virtue from the very beginning of her adventures.\n\nBeyond the Grace Harlowe books, Chase utilized several other pseudonyms to target different audiences. As Pauline Lester, she penned the Marjorie Dean series, and as Grace Gordon, she wrote the June Allen series. She also wrote for boys, adopting the name Ames Thompson for the Adventure Boys series and Captain Gordon Bates for the Khaki Boys series, which was published between 1918 and 1920. Chase passed away in Philadelphia in 1931, leaving behind a diverse legacy of early twentieth-century series literature.
