Sarah Orne Jewett (September 3, 1849 - June 24, 1909) was an American novelist and short story writer whose works were set in or near South Berwick, Maine, a declining New England seaport town near the Maine border with New Hampshire. Jewett's father was a doctor, Jewett often accompanied him on his rounds, becoming acquainted with the sights and sounds of her native land and its people. As treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that developed in early childhood, Jewett was sent on frequent walks and through them also developed a love of nature. In later life, Jewett often visited Boston, where she was acquainted with many of the most influential literary figures of her day; but she always returned to South Berwick, the "Deephaven" of her stories.