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Mary Burchell

(Ida Cook)
UK  (1904 - 1986)
aka
James Keene (with Will Cook)
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About Mary Burchell
Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her old 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. She also wrote as James Keene with William Everett Cook.

Ida Cook passed away on December 22, 1986 and her sister Louise in 1991.
 
Novels
Wife to Christopher (1936)
Except My Love (1937)
With All My Worldly Goods (1938)
Other Lips Have Loved You (1938)
     aka Two Loves Have I
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)
Thanks to Elizabeth (1944)
Take Me with You (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)
No Real Relation (1953)
The Heart Must Choose (1953)
A Ring On Her Finger (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)
For Ever and Ever (1956)
On the Air (1956)
To Journey Together (1956)
Loving Is Giving (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)
Honey (1959)
Star Quality (1959)
     aka Surgeon of Distinction
Corner House (1959)
Choose the One You'll Marry (1960)
Across the Counter (1960)
Paris and My Love (1960)
My Sister Celia (1961)
Reluctant Relation (1961)
The Wedding Dress (1961)
House of Conflict (1962)
Inherit My Heart (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
The Marshall family (1967)
Though Worlds Apart (1967)
Cinderella After Midnight (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)
Yet Love Remains (1971)
But Not for Me (1971)
Second Marriage (1971)
Pay Me Tomorrow (1971)
Strangers May Marry (1972)
It's Rumoured in the Village (1973)
The Brave in Heart (1975)
Such Is Love (1975)
Just a Nice Girl (1975)
Damaged Angel (1976)
Nobody Asked Me (1976)
Except My LoveWith All My Worldly GoodsOther Lips Have Loved YouOne of the Family
Yours With LoveAccompanied by His WifeWhere Shall I Wander?Take Me with You
Away Went LoveWife by ArrangementUnder Joint ManagementWard of Lucifer
Then Come Kiss MeChoose Which You WillIf This Were AllAt First Sight
A Letter for DonLove Him or Leave HimMine for a DayTell Me My Fortune
Stolen HeartSweet AdventureThe Heart Cannot ForgetUnder the Stars of Paris
When Love's BeginningNurse Allison's TrustHospital CorridorsYours to Command
For Ever and EverOn the AirTo Journey TogetherLoving Is Giving
And Falsely Pledge My LoveLove Is My ReasonNurse Marika, Loyal in AllDear Sir
Dear TrusteeThe Girl in the Blue DressHoneyStar Quality
Across the CounterParis and My LoveMy Sister CeliaReluctant Relation
The Wedding DressHouse of ConflictInherit My HeartDo Not Go, My Love
The Strange Quest of Anne WestonGirl with a ChallengeMeant for Each OtherOne Man's Heart
The Marshall familyThough Worlds ApartCinderella After MidnightDearly Beloved
Missing from HomeA Home for JoyCall and I'll ComeLove Made the Choice
Dare I Be HappyLittle SisterYet Love RemainsBut Not for Me
Pay Me TomorrowStrangers May MarryIt's Rumoured in the VillageThe Brave in Heart
Such Is LoveJust a Nice GirlNobody 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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