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Mary Burchell

(Ida Cook)
UK  (1904 - 1986)
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About Mary Burchell
Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her older sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera.

A constant presence at Covent Garden, the pair became close to some of the greatest singers of the era; Amelia Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle, Tito Gobbi and Maria Callas. They also came to know the Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss, and it was through he that Cooks learned of the persecution of European Jews. In 1934, Krauss's wife asked the sisters to help a friend to leave Germany. Having accomplished this, the sisters continued the good work, pretending to be eccentric opera fanatics willing to go anywhere to hear a favourite artist. Krauss assisted them, even arranging to perform in cities they needed to visit. The sisters made repeated trips to Germany, bringing back jewellery and valuables belonging to Jewish families. This enabled Jews to satisfy British requirements as regards financial security - Jews were not allowed to leave Germany with their money. Using many techniques of evasion, including re-labelling furs with London labels, the sisters enabled 29 persons to escape from almost certain death.

The Cooks' own finances were little precarious, and when Ida obtained a contract with Mills and Boon to published her first novel in 1936, she left the Civil Service to write full time. As Mary Burchell, she became a prolific writer of romantic fiction. Her great popularity helped the success of Mills and Boon, and guaranteed substantial income after the war. For many decades, her writing supported her two passions: refugees and young opera singers. Her flat in Dolphin Square at various times housed homeless European families.

In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars", and in 1965, the Cook sisters were honoured as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel, thus joining Oskar Schindler among others.

She helped to found and was for many years president of the Romantic Novelist's Association. As Mary Burchell, she wrote over a hundred romance novels, many of which were translated, and her most famous work is "The Warrender Saga", a series about the opera world, full of real details.

Ida Cook passed away on December 22, 1986 and her sister Louise in 1991. They were honoured posthumously by the British government as "British Heroes of the Holocaust" in 2010.
 
Novels
Wife to Christopher (1936)
Except My Love (1937)
Other Lips Have Loved You (1938)
     aka Two Loves Have I
With All My Worldly Goods (1938)
One of the Family (1939)
After Office Hours (1939)
Yours With Love (1940)
I'll Go With You (1940)
Accompanied by His Wife (1941)
Always Yours (1941)
Where Shall I Wander? (1942)
     aka Bargain Wife
Thine Is My Heart (1942)
My Old Love Came (1943)
Take Me with You (1944)
Thanks to Elizabeth (1944)
Away Went Love (1945)
Wife by Arrangement (1946)
Find Out the Way (1946)
First Love-Last Love (1946)
Not Without You (1947)
Under Joint Management (1947)
Ward of Lucifer (1947)
If You Care (1948)
Then Come Kiss Me (1948)
Choose Which You Will (1949)
I Will Love You Still (1949)
If This Were All (1949)
Wish on the Moon (1949)
At First Sight (1950)
A Letter for Don (1950)
Love Him or Leave Him (1950)
Here I Belong (1951)
Mine for a Day (1951)
Tell Me My Fortune (1951)
Over the Blue Mountains (1952)
Stolen Heart (1952)
Sweet Adventure (1952)
The Heart Cannot Forget (1953)
A Ring On Her Finger (1953)
No Real Relation (1953)
The Heart Must Choose (1953)
Under the Stars of Paris (1954)
When Love's Beginning (1954)
Nurse Allison's Trust (1954)
     aka Meet Me Again
Hospital Corridors (1955)
Yours to Command (1955)
The Prettiest Girl (1955)
On the Air (1956)
To Journey Together (1956)
Loving Is Giving (1956)
For Ever and Ever (1956)
And Falsely Pledge My Love (1957)
Love Is My Reason (1957)
     aka My Love is My Reason
Nurse Marika, Loyal in All (1957)
     aka Loyal in All
Joanna at the Grange (1957)
Dear Sir (1958)
Dear Trustee (1958)
The Girl in the Blue Dress (1958)
Corner House (1959)
Honey (1959)
Star Quality (1959)
     aka Surgeon of Distinction
Across the Counter (1960)
Choose the One You'll Marry (1960)
Paris and My Love (1960)
Reluctant Relation (1961)
The Wedding Dress (1961)
My Sister Celia (1961)
Inherit My Heart (1962)
House of Conflict (1962)
Dangerous Loving (1963)
Sweet Meadows (1963)
Do Not Go, My Love (1964)
The Strange Quest of Anne Weston (1964)
     aka The Strange Quest of Nurse Anne
Girl with a Challenge (1965)
Her Sister's Children (1965)
Meant for Each Other (1966)
One Man's Heart (1966)
     aka The Other Linding Girl
Cinderella After Midnight (1967)
The Marshall family (1967)
Though Worlds Apart (1967)
Dearly Beloved (1967)
Missing from Home (1968)
A Home for Joy (1969)
Call and I'll Come (1970)
Love Made the Choice (1970)
The Rosewood Box (1970)
Dare I Be Happy (1970)
Little Sister (1970)
But Not for Me (1971)
Yet Love Remains (1971)
Second Marriage (1971)
Pay Me Tomorrow (1971)
Strangers May Marry (1972)
It's Rumoured in the Village (1973)
The Brave in Heart (1975)
Just a Nice Girl (1975)
Such Is Love (1975)
Damaged Angel (1976)
Nobody Asked Me (1976)
Wife to ChristopherExcept My LoveOther Lips Have Loved YouWith All My Worldly Goods
One of the FamilyYours With LoveAccompanied by His WifeAlways Yours
Where Shall I Wander?Take Me with YouAway Went LoveWife by Arrangement
Under Joint ManagementWard of LuciferThen Come Kiss MeChoose Which You Will
If This Were AllAt First SightA Letter for DonLove Him or Leave Him
Here I BelongMine for a DayTell Me My FortuneOver the Blue Mountains
Stolen HeartSweet AdventureThe Heart Cannot ForgetUnder the Stars of Paris
When Love's BeginningNurse Allison's TrustHospital CorridorsYours to Command
On the AirTo Journey TogetherLoving Is GivingFor Ever and Ever
And Falsely Pledge My LoveLove Is My ReasonNurse Marika, Loyal in AllDear Sir
Dear TrusteeThe Girl in the Blue DressHoneyStar Quality
Across the CounterChoose the One You'll MarryParis and My LoveReluctant Relation
The Wedding DressMy Sister CeliaInherit My HeartHouse of Conflict
Do Not Go, My LoveThe Strange Quest of Anne WestonGirl with a ChallengeMeant for Each Other
One Man's HeartCinderella After MidnightThe Marshall familyThough Worlds Apart
Dearly BelovedMissing from HomeA Home for JoyCall and I'll Come
Love Made the ChoiceThe Rosewood BoxDare I Be HappyLittle Sister
But Not for MeYet Love RemainsPay Me TomorrowStrangers May Marry
It's Rumoured in the VillageThe Brave in HeartJust a Nice GirlSuch Is Love
Damaged AngelNobody Asked Me
 
Omnibus
It's Rumored in the Village / Except My Love /  Strangers May Marry
 
Non fiction
We Followed Our Stars (1950)
     aka Safe Passage
We Followed Our Stars
 

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