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Mistress Anne
Irene Temple Bailey (1885-1953) was an American novelist and short story writer. Beginning around 1902, she was contributing stories to national magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Cavalier Magazine, Cosmopolitan, American Magazine, McClure's, Woman's Home Companion, Good Housekeeping, McCall's and others. In 1914, Bailey wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie and two of her books were filmed. She also had three of her books on the list of bestselling novels in the United States in 1918, 1922, and 1926 as determined by the New York Times. Among her most famous works Glory of Youth (1913), Contrary Mary (1914), Adventures in Girlhood (1917), Mistress Anne (1917), The Tin Soldier (1916) and Trumpeter Swan (1920).
268 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2007
About the author
Temple Bailey
105 books13 followersKnown as "Queen of the Romantic Novel", Irene Temple Bailey was born in Petersburg, Virginia. Her childhood was spent in Washington, D.C., and she attended a girls' school in Richmond, Virginia. In the early 1900s, she had her fiction published in national magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Cavalier Magazine, Cosmopolitan, American Magazine, McClure's, Woman's Home Companion, Good Housekeeping, and McCall's.
Her success with short stories inspired her to try her hand at books, and her first novel, Judy, was published in 1907. She eventually wrote over 25 best-selling books and became one of the most successful authors of her time. Later she also ventured into screenwriting; in 1914 she wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie.
Temple Bailey is probably most famous for her short story, "A Parable of Motherhood."
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...
Her success with short stories inspired her to try her hand at books, and her first novel, Judy, was published in 1907. She eventually wrote over 25 best-selling books and became one of the most successful authors of her time. Later she also ventured into screenwriting; in 1914 she wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie.
Temple Bailey is probably most famous for her short story, "A Parable of Motherhood."
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2025
4.25🌟 A charming and lovely vintage romance!
I've only read one other title by Temple Bailey so far (Silver Slippers), but both of these novels were really touching and enjoyable.
This author has a talent for:
❊ Writing about quiet, but deep loves
❊ Slow, but perfect pacing
❊ Characters with integrity and sensitivity
❊ Settings that make the reader forget the present and live fully in the world she has created
❊ A lesson to be learned, but not in a preachy way
This love story about the kind school teacher, Anne Warfield, and Dr. Richard Brooks is compelling and makes you think. I loved the relationship between Anne and her Uncle Rod, as well as the closeness of Richard and his mother, Nancy. Following the friendship between Anne and Richard kept me interested and invested until the very end. (I also loved Anne's little duck friend, Diogenes.)
If you love 1910s vintage romances, you will love Mistress Anne. There's so much to keep you reading, especially if you prefer a quieter, simpler romance story. I'm excited to read more by Temple Bailey!
Many thanks to Andrea (@sorrythankyou79 on Instagram) for buddy reading this book with me!
I've only read one other title by Temple Bailey so far (Silver Slippers), but both of these novels were really touching and enjoyable.
This author has a talent for:
❊ Writing about quiet, but deep loves
❊ Slow, but perfect pacing
❊ Characters with integrity and sensitivity
❊ Settings that make the reader forget the present and live fully in the world she has created
❊ A lesson to be learned, but not in a preachy way
This love story about the kind school teacher, Anne Warfield, and Dr. Richard Brooks is compelling and makes you think. I loved the relationship between Anne and her Uncle Rod, as well as the closeness of Richard and his mother, Nancy. Following the friendship between Anne and Richard kept me interested and invested until the very end. (I also loved Anne's little duck friend, Diogenes.)
If you love 1910s vintage romances, you will love Mistress Anne. There's so much to keep you reading, especially if you prefer a quieter, simpler romance story. I'm excited to read more by Temple Bailey!
Many thanks to Andrea (@sorrythankyou79 on Instagram) for buddy reading this book with me!
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January 3, 2023I love how anne so good in her innocity.i am royal but still can serve.its tipe of 1910 novel so good to end more fun in simplity much qutition to notice i can breath the green beuty there and pure love gd to emagin.so tall cute nove i feel age to read like that and breath with smile.
February 28, 2009
This was a cruise through the library, see an "old" book on the shelf, curiosity pick up.
In this book Anne has been raised for "better" society but do to poverty goes to work in a small village as a school teacher. Her loving guardian, her uncle, has tried to teach her many important truths, such as life is what you make it. She tries to impart these truths as well as manners, patriotism and of a love of learning to her village students.
The main part of the story is Anne's struggle to know where she fits in. She feels like a wilted flower among New York's finest that sometimes stops at the Inn where she lives, but doesn't fit in with the less-educated, common, people she lives among. She also struggles with feeling the desires for youthful adventure, but lacking opportunity to move our of her sphere of living.
At first I was worried that Anne would come out a snob because she hated to feel left out by the elite but knew she was above her peers in the village. However, her dedicated service to her fellow-beings, her love of the children she teaches says otherwise.
It is a great story, with a "if only they had communicated," romance.+0
There are also some nice quotes in the book. I like Uncle Rod's proverb :"The Lord sends us quail, but he doesn't send them roasted." :)
In this book Anne has been raised for "better" society but do to poverty goes to work in a small village as a school teacher. Her loving guardian, her uncle, has tried to teach her many important truths, such as life is what you make it. She tries to impart these truths as well as manners, patriotism and of a love of learning to her village students.
The main part of the story is Anne's struggle to know where she fits in. She feels like a wilted flower among New York's finest that sometimes stops at the Inn where she lives, but doesn't fit in with the less-educated, common, people she lives among. She also struggles with feeling the desires for youthful adventure, but lacking opportunity to move our of her sphere of living.
At first I was worried that Anne would come out a snob because she hated to feel left out by the elite but knew she was above her peers in the village. However, her dedicated service to her fellow-beings, her love of the children she teaches says otherwise.
It is a great story, with a "if only they had communicated," romance.+0
There are also some nice quotes in the book. I like Uncle Rod's proverb :"The Lord sends us quail, but he doesn't send them roasted." :)
May 29, 2013
This is really, for me, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoy the old fashioned story where everyone is where they should be in the end. Anne Warfield is the schoolteacher in a small country town who longs for adventure. Richard Brooks is the young doctor who longs to make a difference. Eve Chesley is the woman determined to marry Richard. I love that Miss Bailey doesn't make the choices between good and evil. They are choices about what is best for each individual. Dr. Brooks can make his contribution in the big city, doing great research and operations, or he can make a difference in the small town, helping the rural community. Anne can make a difference shaping the hearts and minds of the schoolchildren in town, or helping to shape the heart and mind of the people she meets in the city. Eve really does care for Richard, but is she well suited to being a doctor's wife and for the choices he will make?
I loved this quote about equality:
"In this beautiful land of ours, all men are free-and equal. You mustn't think this means that all of you will have the same amount of money or the same kind of clothes... or even the same kind of minds. But I think it means that you ought all to have the same kind of consciences. You ought to be equal in right doing. And in love of country..And you can all be equal in this, that no man can make you lie or steal or be a coward."
I loved this quote about equality:
"In this beautiful land of ours, all men are free-and equal. You mustn't think this means that all of you will have the same amount of money or the same kind of clothes... or even the same kind of minds. But I think it means that you ought all to have the same kind of consciences. You ought to be equal in right doing. And in love of country..And you can all be equal in this, that no man can make you lie or steal or be a coward."
May 11, 2015
I liked Anne but not as much as other Temple Bailey heroines. I wouldn't say she really took charge of her life. Also, the plot is a bit contrived to get Anne and the hero together. But like all Temple Bailey novels, the novel is good, solid, and fun, and most of all, worth reading.
May 16, 2011
Very much a 1910-type story, but a simple and pleasant read. Not much exictement, but strongly drawn characters.
March 28, 2012
great book and I know you will enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews