Rosamond Marshall
Encyclopedia
Rosamond Marshall was a 20th-century American novelist. She wrote historical romances for adult and youth readers during the 1940s and 50's, and two of her novels, Kitty and The Bixby Girls, were made into motion pictures.
Spring Book Award.citation required
The novel is set during the Netherlands
' revolt against Spain in the 16th century. The story centers around a young girl, Nele van Doon, of Leyden, Holland, who falls in love with John of Texel, one of the leaders of the revolt against the Spanish rule of the Netherlands. She becomes one of a company of patriots known as the Beggars, and endures with her people during a siege of Leyden, when starvation and plague take their toll. Nele herself plays a part in the breaking of that siege when Prince William cannot come to the aid of the city, by skating many miles to reach the Zee-land Fleet, where John of Texel is in service, to bring help to Leyden. The Dutch are victorious in the battle that follows; the town holds a feast of triumph, and John of Texel, recalling the old prophecy: "When the North shall kiss the South, war will cease and the Seven be free," asks the hand of Nele in marriage. The book is illustrated with several pen and ink drawings by Gregor Duncan
.
Rosamond Marshall's novels for young people were overshadowed by the success of her historical romances for adults. The first of these, Kitty, set the pattern for a continuing series of novels which had sales (in paper-back reprints) ranging from a million and a half to three million by 1942.citation required
Two of Rosamond's novels were made into motion pictures. The 1945 film Kitty
was based on her novel by the same name. The 1960 movie All the Fine Young Cannibals
was based on her book The Bixby Girls.
she met and married an Italian, and lived for a time in Rome. For several years she traveled Europe. After a divorce from her first husband, she married Albert Earl Marshall of New York City, USA.
Early life
Marshall was born Rosamond van der Zee on October 17, 1902 (or, possibly 1893), the daughter of Charles and Florence (née Tappan Botsford).Career
Her first published novel in English, None But the Brave, A Story of Holland (1942), for young people, won the New York Herald TribuneNew York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
Spring Book Award.citation required
The novel is set during the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' revolt against Spain in the 16th century. The story centers around a young girl, Nele van Doon, of Leyden, Holland, who falls in love with John of Texel, one of the leaders of the revolt against the Spanish rule of the Netherlands. She becomes one of a company of patriots known as the Beggars, and endures with her people during a siege of Leyden, when starvation and plague take their toll. Nele herself plays a part in the breaking of that siege when Prince William cannot come to the aid of the city, by skating many miles to reach the Zee-land Fleet, where John of Texel is in service, to bring help to Leyden. The Dutch are victorious in the battle that follows; the town holds a feast of triumph, and John of Texel, recalling the old prophecy: "When the North shall kiss the South, war will cease and the Seven be free," asks the hand of Nele in marriage. The book is illustrated with several pen and ink drawings by Gregor Duncan
Gregor Duncan
Gregor Keane Duncan was an artist who specialized in pen-and-ink drawings for magazines, books and newspapers.Born in Seattle, Washington, Duncan grew up in Sausalito, California, the son of Charles and Constance Duncan...
.
Rosamond Marshall's novels for young people were overshadowed by the success of her historical romances for adults. The first of these, Kitty, set the pattern for a continuing series of novels which had sales (in paper-back reprints) ranging from a million and a half to three million by 1942.citation required
Two of Rosamond's novels were made into motion pictures. The 1945 film Kitty
Kitty (1945 film)
Kitty is a 1945 film, a fictional costume drama set in London during the 1780s, directed by Mitchell Leisen, based on the novel of the same name by Rosamond Marshall , with a screenplay by Karl Tunberg. It stars Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, Constance Collier, Patric Knowles, Reginald Owen, and...
was based on her novel by the same name. The 1960 movie All the Fine Young Cannibals
All the Fine Young Cannibals
All The Fine Young Cannibals is a 1960 film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton, and Pearl Bailey....
was based on her book The Bixby Girls.
Personal life
While in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
she met and married an Italian, and lived for a time in Rome. For several years she traveled Europe. After a divorce from her first husband, she married Albert Earl Marshall of New York City, USA.