Harriet A. Cheever is an author about whom very little public information is available; her nationality, dates of birth and death, and full English name are not clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that two of her works are held in the collection, namely Lord Dolphin and Maid Sally. Judging from the titles and genres of these two works, she seems to have written chiefly narrative literature, with subjects that appear related to seafaring, marine life, and domestic or servant life, in a plain style addressed to general readers. Because biographical material is lacking, her writing career, background, and the reception of her works are difficult to describe in detail, and knowledge of her among scholars and readers rests mainly on these two surviving books. Overall, she belongs among modern English-language writers whose works survive but whose life records are scarce, and her significance lies more in the narrative interest and traces of period life preserved in her books, which merit further textual and bibliographical study.
