Ida Cook
Encyclopedia
Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991) rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Ida Cook wrote more than 125 romance novels as Mary Burchell for Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon is a British publisher of romance novels. It was founded in 1908, and was independent until its purchase in 1971 by Harlequin Enterprises with whom the company had had a long informal partnership...
(reedited by Harlequin). She helped to found and was for many years president of the Romantic Novelists' Association
Romantic Novelists' Association
The Romantic Novelists' Association is a writers' association in the UK. Founded in 1960, mainly through the efforts of Denise Robins , Barbara Cartland , Vivian Stuart , and other authors like Elizabeth Goudge, Netta Muskett, Catherine Cookson, Rosamunde Pilcher and Lucilla Andrews.The RNA runs...
. She wrote her autobiography in 1950, We Followed Our Stars, reedited as Safe Passage, current in print.
Personal life
Ida Cook was born 24 August 1904 in Sunderland, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. With her elder sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991), she attended the Duchess' School in Alnwick and later took civil service jobs in London. Ida with her sister, Louise, developed a passionate interest in opera.
During the 1930s, the sisters visited Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
using their true fanaticism for opera as a cover for their frequent travel. When returning to England, they smuggled in valuables, which allowed Jews fleeing Germany to satisfy the British financial security requirements for immigration. They worked with Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss
Clemens Krauss
Clemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss.-Biography:...
and his wife, the soprano Viorica Ursuleac
Viorica Ursuleac
Viorica Ursuleac was an important Romanian operatic soprano.Viorica Ursuleac was born the daughter of a Greek Orthodox archdeacon, in Chernivtsi, which is now in Ukraine. Following training in Vienna, she made her operatic debut in Zagreb , as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther, in 1922...
, who initially had told them of the persecution of the Jews. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In 2010 they were posthumously named a British Hero of the Holocaust
British Hero of the Holocaust
The British Hero of the Holocaust award is a special national award given by the UK government in recognition of British citizens who assisted in rescuing victims of the Holocaust. On 9 March 2010 it was awarded to 25 individuals posthumously, and to two living people, Sir Nicholas Winton aged 100,...
by the British Governnment.
Writing career
In 1936, Ida published her first romance novels as Mary Burchell. During her career she wrote more than 100 romances for Mills & BoonMills & Boon
Mills & Boon is a British publisher of romance novels. It was founded in 1908, and was independent until its purchase in 1971 by Harlequin Enterprises with whom the company had had a long informal partnership...
(reedited by Harlequin Books), including the famous The Warrender Saga, a series about the Opera and concert hall world. She incorporated many famous operas (Otello
Otello
Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
, Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin (opera)
Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin....
, and Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, among others) into these Warrender series plots.
She also wrote some western novels as James Keene
James Keene (writer)
James Keene was the pseudonym used by the authors Ida Cook and William Everett Cook to write western novels.-Single titles:*The Texas Pistol *The Brass and the Blue *Justice, My Brother! *Seven for Vengeance...
with the author William Everett Cook (aka Will Cook or Frank Peace).
In 1950, she wrote her autobiography, We Followed Our Stars, reedited as Safe Passage, currently in print.
Single novels
- Wife to Christopher, 1936
- Except my Love, 1937
- Nobody Asked Me, 1937
- But Not For Me, 1938
- Other Lips Have Loved You (later republished as Two Loves Have I), 1938
- With all my Worldly goods, 1938
- Yet Love Remains, 1938
- After Office Hours, 1939
- Little Sister, 1939
- One of the Family, 1939
- Such is Love, 1939
- I'll Go With You, 1940
- Pay Me Tomorrow, 1940
- Yours With Love, 1940
- Accompanied by his Wife, 1941
- Always Yours, 1941
- Just a Nice Girl, 1941
- Strangers May Marry, 1941
- Love Made the Choice, 1942
- Thine Is My Heart, 1942
- Where Shall I Wander? (later republished as Bargain Wife), 1942
- Dare I Be Happy?, 1943
- My Old Love Came, 1943
- Dearly Beloved, 1944
- Take Me with You, 1944
- Thanks to Elizabeth, 1944
- Away Went Love, 1945
- Meant for Each Other, 1945
- Find Out the Way, 1946
- First Love-Last Love, 1946
- Wife by Arrangement, 1946
- Not Without You, 1947
- Under Joint Management, 1947
- Ward of Lucifer, 1947
- If You Care, 1948
- The Brave in Heart 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
- A Letter for Don, 1950
- At First Sight, 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
- A Ring on Her Finger, 1953
- No Real Relation, 1953
- The Heart Cannot Forget, 1953
- The Heart Must Choose 1953
- Meet Me Again (later republished as Nurse Allison's Trust), 1954
- Under the Stars of Paris, 1954
- When Love's Beginning, 1954
- The Prettiest Girl, 1955
- Yours to Command, 1955
- For Ever and Ever, 1956
- Loving is Giving, 1956
- On the Air, 1956
- To Journey Together, 1956
- And Falsely Pledge My Love, 1957
- It's Rumoured in the Village, 1957
- Joanna at the Grange, 1957
- Love is my Reason, 1957
- Loyal in All (later republished as Nurse Marika, Loyal in All, 1957
- Dear Sir 1958
- Dear Trustee, 1958
- Hospital Corridors, 1958
- The Girl in the Blue Dress, 1958
- Honey, 1959
- Star Quality (later republished as Surgeon of Distinction), 1959
- Across the Counter, 1960
- Choose the One You'll Marry, 1960
- Corner House, 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, 1964/01
- The Strange Quest of Anne Weston (later republished as The Strange Quest of Nurse Anne), 1964
- Girl With a Challenge, 1965
- Her Sister's Children, 1965
- The Other Linding Girl, 1966
- Cinderella After Midnight, 1967
- The Broken Wing (later republished as Damaged Angel), 1966
- The Marshall Family, 1967
- Though Worlds Apart, 1967
- Missing from Home, 1968
- A Home for Joy, 1969
- The Rosewood Box, 1970
- Call and I'll Come, 1970
- Second Marriage, 1971
- One Man's Heart 1971
The Warrender Saga
- A Song Begins, 1965 (OtelloOtelloOtello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
) - The Broken Wing, 1966 (excerpts Così fan tutteCosì fan tutteCosì fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
, SemiramideSemiramideSemiramide is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis, which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon...
, Norma (opera)Norma (opera)Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
) - When Love is Blind, 1967 (Beethoven's 3rd Concerto)
- The Curtain Rises, 1969 (The Magic FluteThe Magic FluteThe Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
) - Child of Music, 1971
- Music of the Heart, 1972
- Unbidden Melody, 1973 (Eugene OneginEugene Onegin (opera)Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin....
) - Song Cycle, 1974
- Remembered Serenade, 1975 (L'amore dei tre reL'amore dei tre reL'amore dei tre re is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his own play of the same title.-Performance history:...
) - Elusive Harmony, 1976 (CarmenCarmenCarmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, OtelloOtelloOtello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
, André ChénierAndrea ChénierAndrea Chénier is a verismo opera in four acts by the composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
) - Nightingales, 1980 (Mendolssohn's ElijahElijah (oratorio)Elijah, in German: Elias, is an oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1846 for the Birmingham Festival. It depicts various events in the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, taken from the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings in the Old Testament....
) - Masquerade with Music, 1982 (I Pagliacci)PagliacciPagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
) - On Wings of Song, 1985 (AlcesteAlceste (Gluck)Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck from 1767. The libretto was written by Ranieri de' Calzabigi and based on the play Alcestis by Euripides. The premiere took place in Vienna.-Preface and reforms:...
, Suor AngelicaSuor AngelicaSuor Angelica is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as Il trittico...
)
Omnibus collections
- 3 Great Novels: Me With You; Choose Which You Will; Meant for Each Other (1975)
- 3 Great Novels: The Heart Cannot Forget; Ward of Lucifer; A Home for Joy
- 3 Great Novels: The Other Linding Girl; Girl with a Challenge; My Sister Celia
- It's Rumored in the Village / Except My Love / Strangers May Marry (1983)
Anthologies in collaboration
- Golden Harlequin Library Vol. VIII: Choose The One You'll Marry / Sweet Barbary / Senior Surgeon at St. David's (1970) (with Pamela Kent and Elizabeth Gilzean)
- Golden Harlequin Library XLI: Over The Blue Mountains; Summer Lightning; Lucy Lamb; Doctor's Wife (1973) (with Sara SealeSara SealeA.D.L. MacPherson was a British writer of romance as Sara Seale from 1932 to 1976. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Netherlands.-Single novels: *Beggars May Sing *Chase the Moon...
and Jill Tahourdin) - Tell Me My Fortune / A Scent Of Lemons / Country Of The Wine (1979) (with Jill Christian and Mary Wibberley)
- Harlequin Classic Library (1980) (with Elizabeth Hoy, Alex Stuart, Susan Barrie, Juliet Shore, Jean S. MacLeod, Elizabeth Houghton and Jill Tahourdin)
- Just a Nice Girl / Pride of Madeira / Valley of Paradise (1983) (with Elizabeth Hunter and Margaret Rome)
- The Hills of Maketu / Under the Stars of Paris / Every Wise Man (1986) (with Gloria Bevan and Jacqueline Gilbert)
Non-fiction
- We Followed Our Stars (1950), rereleased as Safe Passage (2008) (autobiography)