Sara Hawks Sterling


Sara Hawks Sterling was an American schoolteacher and novelist.
Sterling specialized in fiction about historical and legendary figures, such as King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Anne Hathaway. Her novel Shakespeare's Sweetheart, published in 1905, is an early attempt to view William Shakespeare's life and romantic exploits from a female perspective. Shakespeare's Sweetheart and A Lady of King Arthur's Court were both illustrated by Clara Elsene Peck.
In addition to her writing, Sterling taught English at the Philadelphia High School for Girls from 1906–1912, and the West Philadelphia High School for Girls starting in 1912. She earned a bachelor of arts in teaching from the University of Pennsylvania in 1918, and was a member of the Women Teachers' Organization.
Sterling was born in Philadelphia to John and Mary Sterling. She appears to have remained in Philadelphia, and never married. According to her listing in the, she was against women's suffrage.
She was a member of the Browning Society of Philadelphia, the Shakespeare Company, and the Dickens Fellowship.

Works

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