After her mother's death in childbirth, her father married the family's Danish-born governess, Magdalene Kragh (1819–1903), who became a poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright.

Her family subsequently moved to Bergen where her father was dean of the historic Holy Cross Church (Korskirken).

Henrik Ibsen was at this time the stage director at the Norwegian Theatre (Det Norske Theater) in Bergen.

She apparently forced the pen into his hand at times, and she was the inspiration for many of Ibsen's famous characters, including Mrs Alving from Ghosts, Nora from A Doll's House, and Mother Åse from Peer Gynt.

Suzannah was so like the characters she inspired in fact, that when Ibsen read Peer Gynt to his family and reached Mother Åse's lines, Sigurd cried out "But that's Mama!").