Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909) was an American novelist and short-story writer whose ‘local colour’ works remain amongst the most important for detailing life in the American countryside. Best known today for her short stories, in particular ‘A White Heron’, a tale that considers the beauty of nature and man’s tendency to destroy it, Jewett’s avant-garde anti-hunting stance and feminist values have led to a renewed interest in her wider works.