E. Marlitt is the pseudonym of Friederieke Henriette Christiane Eugenie John (1825 – 1887), a popular German novelist of the 19th century. She was born in Arnstadt. Her father was a portrait painter; her patroness was the Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, who adopted her in 1841 and sent her to Vienna to study music for three years on account of her fine voice. She became deaf, and returned to Sondershausen, living at court as a companion to her patroness for eleven years. Her correspondents were struck with her attractive style, and encouraged her to write novels. For this purpose, she returned to Arnstadt in 1863, and there began her career as a novelist.