Alice Hegan Rice (1870–1942,) born Alice Caldwell Hegan, was an American novelist and short-story writer known for her warm, humorous portrayals of early 20th-century Kentucky life. Her bestseller, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1901,) was widely translated, staged, and adapted into films.
Born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Rice published her first newspaper piece at 15. At 16, she volunteered at a Louisville mission Sunday school in the Cabbage Patch slum, inspiring Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch. Its uplifting narrative, humor, and resilience resonated with readers, leading to numerous adaptations.
Rice later wrote Lovey Mary (1903,) Sandy (1905,) and Captain June (1907,) creating strong, endearing characters. Her works, including Mr. Opp (1909,) A Romance of Billy-Goat Hill (1912,) and Calvary Alley (1917,) reinforced her reputation for engaging, socially conscious fiction. She collaborated with her husband, poet and playwright Cale Young Rice, on Turn About Tales (1920) and Winners and Losers (1925.)
She also wrote The Inky Way (1940,) an autobiography about her literary journey. In 1910, she co-founded the Cabbage Patch Settlement House to support underprivileged communities.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Alice Hegan Rice
It ain’t no use putting up your umbrella till it rains.
—Alice Hegan Rice
Topics: Worry, One liners
Life is made up of desires that seem big and vital one minute, and little and absurd the next. I guess we get what’s best for us in the end.
—Alice Hegan Rice
Leave a Reply