British author Elinor Glyn (1864-1943) wrote a number of novels, many featuring strong female characters in sexually charged situations. The most scandalous was Three Weeks, which nearly ended Glyn's career. Later in her career she was lured to Hollywood to write screenplays, one of which originated the idea of the "It Girl." She also directed two unsuccessful films.

Glyn was born Elinor Sutherland on October 17, 1864, in Jersey, England, the daughter of Douglas and Elinor (Saunders) Sutherland. Douglas Sutherland was a Canadian-Scottish civil engineer who died of typhoid fever when Glyn was three months old. After her father's death, Glyn, her mother, older sister Lucy--who as Lady Lucy Duff Gordon would become a successful fashion designer--and her French grandmother moved to Canada. Glyn's grandmother was a particularly strong influence on Glyn; from an aristocratic background and with strong beliefs, the elderly woman helped shape her granddaughter's outlook on life...