Alice Tisdale Hobart
Encyclopedia
Alice Tisdale Hobart born Alice Nourse in Lockport, New York
, was an American
novelist. Her most famous book, Oil for the Lamps of China http://www.amazon.com/dp/1891936085/, which was also made into a film, drew heavily on her experiences as the wife of an American oil executive in China amid the turmoil of the overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty
in 1912.
Spinal meningitis in infancy and a fall when she was seventeen left Alice Nourse with frail health and back trouble which caused her to be semi-invalid at periods throughout her life.
She attended the University of Chicago, but never graduated, opting instead to take a job. She first traveled to China
in 1908 to visit her sister Mary, who taught at a girl's school in Hangchow, and returned two years later to take up a post at the same establishment. After marrying Earle Tisdale Hobart, a Standard Oil Company executive, in Tientsin in 1914, she traveled to Manchuria
and in 1916 published an article on her experiences at the hands of Manchurian bandits in The Atlantic Monthly
. It led to a series of pieces entitled Leaves From a Manchurian Diary and formed the basis for her first book, Pioneering Where the World is Old in 1917.
Her life in Changsha formed the backdrop for her second book, By the City of the Long Sand in 1926, while an assault on Nanking by Nationalist soldiers and her escape over the city wall to the safety of the waiting American gunboats was recounted in Within the Walls of Nanking in 1928. This book started as a piece in Harper's Magazine
. Her fictional account of her experiences in China, not surprisingly, focused on the role played by Western businessmen, especially those engaged in importing and selling petroleum products.
Pidgin Cargo, set among traders on the Yangtze River
, appeared in 1929 and Oil For the Lamps of China
in 1933. After making her home in California
in the 1940s, her subject matter expanded to encompass contemporary Mexico
in The Peacock Sheds His Tail (1945) and Californian agrarian life in The Cup and the Sword (1942) and The Cleft Rock (1948). In 1959 she published her memoir, Gusty's Child.
She published more than a dozen novels in all by the time of her death in 1967, with almost four million copies in print.
Yang and Yin
Their Own Country
Venture Into Darkness
The Serpent-Wreathed Staff
The Innocent Dreamers
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist. Her most famous book, Oil for the Lamps of China http://www.amazon.com/dp/1891936085/, which was also made into a film, drew heavily on her experiences as the wife of an American oil executive in China amid the turmoil of the overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in 1912.
Spinal meningitis in infancy and a fall when she was seventeen left Alice Nourse with frail health and back trouble which caused her to be semi-invalid at periods throughout her life.
She attended the University of Chicago, but never graduated, opting instead to take a job. She first traveled to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1908 to visit her sister Mary, who taught at a girl's school in Hangchow, and returned two years later to take up a post at the same establishment. After marrying Earle Tisdale Hobart, a Standard Oil Company executive, in Tientsin in 1914, she traveled to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
and in 1916 published an article on her experiences at the hands of Manchurian bandits in The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
. It led to a series of pieces entitled Leaves From a Manchurian Diary and formed the basis for her first book, Pioneering Where the World is Old in 1917.
Her life in Changsha formed the backdrop for her second book, By the City of the Long Sand in 1926, while an assault on Nanking by Nationalist soldiers and her escape over the city wall to the safety of the waiting American gunboats was recounted in Within the Walls of Nanking in 1928. This book started as a piece in Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
. Her fictional account of her experiences in China, not surprisingly, focused on the role played by Western businessmen, especially those engaged in importing and selling petroleum products.
Pidgin Cargo, set among traders on the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, appeared in 1929 and Oil For the Lamps of China
Oil For the Lamps of China
Oil for the Lamps of China is a novel by Alice Tisdale Hobart. It was originally published by Bobbs Merrill in 1933, and reprinted by EastBridge in 2002 ....
in 1933. After making her home in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the 1940s, her subject matter expanded to encompass contemporary Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in The Peacock Sheds His Tail (1945) and Californian agrarian life in The Cup and the Sword (1942) and The Cleft Rock (1948). In 1959 she published her memoir, Gusty's Child.
She published more than a dozen novels in all by the time of her death in 1967, with almost four million copies in print.
Writings
- Oil for the Lamps of China
- Leaves From a Manchurian Diary
- Pioneering Where the World is Old
- By the City of the Long Sand
- Within the Walls of Nanking
- Pidgin Cargo
- River Supreme
- The Peacock Sheds His Tail
- The Cup and the Sword
- The Cleft Rock
- Gusty's Child
Yang and Yin
Their Own Country
Venture Into Darkness
The Serpent-Wreathed Staff
The Innocent Dreamers