She was born in Boston, daughter of G. Augustus and Augusta Schon Holzman. She attended Girls' Latin School. She earned degrees from Wellesley College, and Radcliffe College.

On 3 July 1928, she married Dr. Sidney Farber, (d. 1973) the founder of the Children's Cancer Research Foundation (now the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) in Boston. According to her obituary published in the New York Times, she was also a classical soprano.

Farber authored six books of poems and 18 children's books. Her poetry was first published in the 1940s, and she was still active in writing until her death from vascular disease in 1984.

Poetry

Juvenile Poetry

Juvenile fiction

• first printing 1973

Anthology