Alice French (March 19, 1850—January 9, 1934), better known as Octave Thanet, was an American novelist.

She was born at Andover, Massachusetts, a daughter of George Henry and Frances Wood French. She graduated from Abbott Academy in Andover, in 1868. She began her literary career about 1878 with studies of a social and economic bent, but soon turned to short stories, especially after her removal to Davenport, Iowa. Iowa and Arkansas gave her opportunities for exploiting regions hitherto little attempted in fiction. Her stories “The Bishop's Vagabond,” “The Hay of the Cyclone,” and “Whitsun Harp, Regulator” were popular. These, with other articles, initially appeared in the Atlantic Monthly and Scribner's Magazine. Later they appeared in her books. Her novel Expiation (1890), won high praise.

French's mother, Frances, was the daughter of Massachusetts Governor Marcus Morton.

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