Ellen Price was born in Worcester. In 1836 she married Henry Wood who worked in the banking and shipping trade in Dauphiné in the South of France, where they lived for 20 years. On the failure of Wood's business, the family (including four children) returned to England, settling in Norwood in London, and Ellen Wood turned to writing. This supported the family (Henry Wood died in 1866). She wrote over 30 novels, many of which (especially East Lynne), enjoyed remarkable popularity. Among the best known of her stories are Danesbury House, Oswald Cray, Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles, The Channings, Lord Oakburn's Daughters and The Shadow of Ashlydyat. In 1867, Wood purchased the English magazine Argosy, which had been founded by Alexander Strahan in 1865. She worked as its editor until June 1887. At her death (caused by bronchitis) her estate was valued at over £36,000, then a very considerable sum.

Her works were translated into many languages. In a March 9, 1872 letter to his older brother Sergei, Leo Tolstoy noted that he was "reading Mrs. Wood's wonderful novel In the Maze".

After her death, she was buried in Highgate Cemetery, London. In 1916 a monument to Mrs. Wood was inaugurated in Worcester Cathedral.

These are the first published UK edition as catalogued by the British Library:

• Danesbury House (1860)
• East Lynne (1861)
• The Elchester College Boys (1861)
• A Life's Secret (1862)
• Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles (1862)
• The Channings (1862)
• The Foggy Night at Offord: A Christmas Gift for the Lancashire Fund (1863)
• The Shadow of Ashlydyat (1863)
• Verner’s Pride (1863)
• Lord Oakburn’s Daughters (1864)
• Oswald Cray (1864)
• Trevlyn Hold; or, Squire Trevlyn’s Heir (1864)
• William Allair; or, Running away to Sea (1864)
• Mildred Arkell: A Novel (1865)
• Elster’s Folly: A Novel (1866)
• St. Martin’s Eve: A Novel (1866)
• Lady Adelaide’s Oath (1867)
• Orville College: A Story (1867)
• The Ghost of the Hollow Field (1867)
• Anne Hereford: A Novel (1868)
• Castle Wafer; or, The Plain Gold Ring (1868)
• The Red Court Farm: A Novel (1868)
• Roland Yorke: A Novel (1869)
• Bessy Rane: A Novel (1870)
• George Canterbury’s Will (1870)
• Dene Hollow (1871)
• Within the Maze: A Novel (1872)
• The Master of Greylands (1873)
• Johnny Ludlow (1874)
• Bessy Wells (1875)
• Told in the Twilight: Containing “Parkwater” and nine shorter stories (1875)
• Adam Grainger: A Tale (1876)
• Edina (1876)
• Our Children (1876)
• Parkwater: With four other tales (1876)
• Pomeroy Abbey (1878)
• Lady Adelaide (1879)
• Johnny Ludlow, Second Series (1880)
• A Tale of Sin and Other Tales (1881)
• Court Netherleigh: A Novel (1881)
• About Ourselves (1883)
• Johnny Ludlow, Third Series (1885)
• Lady Grace and Other Stories (1887)
• The Story of Charles Strange (1888)
• The Unholy Wish and Other Stories (1890)
• Ashley and Other Stories (1897)

Translations

• Les Filles de Lord Oakburn: Roman traduit de l’anglais par L. Bochet (1876)
• La Gloire des Verner: Roman traduit de l’anglais par L. de L’Estrive (1878)
• Le Serment de Lady Adelaïde: Roman traduit de l’anglais par Léon Bochet (1878)