Elswyth Thane (1) (1900–1984)
Författare till Dawn's Early Light
För andra författare vid namn Elswyth Thane, se särskiljningssidan.
Serier
Verk av Elswyth Thane
Interludio en Cuba 1 exemplar
Taggad
Allmänna fakta
- Vedertaget namn
- Thane, Elswyth
- Namn enligt folkbokföringen
- Beebe, Helen Ricker
- Andra namn
- Beebe, Elswyth Thane
- Födelsedag
- 1900-05-16
- Avled
- 1984-07-31
- Kön
- female
- Nationalitet
- USA
- Födelseort
- Burlington, Iowa, USA
- Dödsort
- Wilmington, Vermont, USA
- Bostadsorter
- New York, New York, USA
- Yrken
- journalist
screenwriter
novelist - Relationer
- Beebe, William (husband)
- Kort biografi
- Helen Elswyth Thane Ricker was born in Burlington, Iowa. She changed her name to Elswyth Thane in 1918 when the family moved to New York City. She began working as a freelance writer in 1925, and wrote for newspapers and some Hollywood films. Her first published book was Riders of the Wind (1926), which she dedicated to her friend William Beebe, a much older naturalist and explorer. In 1927, the couple were married on a yacht off Oyster Bay, New York; guests included Edith Kermit Roosevelt, wife of the former president. Elswyth Thane became famous for her "Williamsburg" series of historical novels. The books depict several generations of two families, from the American Revolutionary War up to World War II. Another of her novels, The Tudor Wench, about Queen Elizabeth I of England, was made into a play. After William Beebe died in 1962, Elswyth lived on the couple's farm in Wilmington, Vermont. Her last work, Fighting Quaker: Nathaniel Greene, was published in 1972.
Medlemmar
Recensioner
This was a reread of the third book in my all-time favorite series - The Williamsburg books by Elswyth Thane. The seven books follow the descendants of the Sprague and Day families from Dawn's Early Light and added the Murray family from Yankee Stranger. I love the depth of the characters and the richness of detail in the depictions of setting and action. Like the War of Independence in the first book and the War Between the States in the second, Ever After drops our two heroes (and one of their cousins) into the middle of the Spanish-American War. I especially enjoyed this aspect, as literature or history classes rarely touched on that conflict. The author succeeded in again bringing out the personal side of war.
This book focuses mainly on Bracken Murray, the son of Eden and Cabot Murray. He is a reporter for his father's newspaper and will eventually take over the paper. His life is in turmoil as his wife left him for another man. Lisl was a selfish, greedy woman who the family never liked. Bracken has long since stopped loving her, but she refuses to divorce him. To help distract him from his troubles, Cabot sends Bracken to London to cover the Queen's Jubilee. His sister Virginia and Aunt Sue go along so Virginia can be presented at Court.
A lot is going on in the first section of the book. Bracken is setting up a branch office of the paper in London. At the same time, he is watching over Virginia and Aunt Sue. They have also been charged with finding out about the Farthingale estate, where their ancestor St. John was born. As luck would have it, the home is for sale and available to rent. After meeting the owner, Sir Gratian, he invites them to visit. The description of the building and their immediate feeling of homecoming is vivid and emotional. The next day, while out for an early morning ride, Bracken encounters Dinah, the youngest daughter of their neighbors. Bracken is stunned by his reaction to her and the realization that she is his destiny. The problem is that A) he is still married, and B) she isn't quite sixteen yet. I enjoyed the early part of their relationship as they became friends, and Bracken cautiously walked the line between friend and want-to-be lover. Dinah is sweet and naïve and utterly oblivious to Bracken's feelings. The author does a terrific job of showing what life is like for people of that social set and the issues that face him.
The Murray family returns to New York at the end of the summer, with Bracken having every intention of returning as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Spanish-American War lays waste to those plans, and his return is delayed by two years. Much has happened to Bracken during those years, but his feelings for Dinah have not changed. They have stayed in touch via letter, and their friendship has grown accordingly. Their reunion is sweet, and there is a hint that Dinah is developing feelings other than friendship for him. I liked seeing how his mother, Eden, and sister helped facilitate opportunities for Bracken to see Dinah in everyday situations. He is working hard to get his divorce settled when an unexpected twist throws everything into disarray. At the same time, Dinah faces issues with her family over her friendship with Bracken. The scene at Scotland Yard was excellent, and I adored seeing Dinah flummox them all. The ending was fantastic.
The middle section of the book is mainly devoted to Fitz. He is Sedgewick and Melicent's son and puzzles everyone in the family. Fitz has no interest in joining his father's law firm or doing anything else. His primary interest in life is collecting songs. He is very musical, writes his own music, and drives his family nuts with what they perceive as his laziness. Desperate to do something about him, Melicent asks her brother Cabot to give Fitz a job on the paper. Fitz isn't interested but is talked into it by Aunt Sue. He settles into the work with the help of another reporter, Johnny, but finds himself fascinated by the New York theater scene. He starts seriously working on his music. While visiting a music hall, he and Johnny rescue a young woman from a gambling gang.
Gwen is nothing like the women Fitz has known all his life. She is independent and accustomed to looking after herself. The rescue scene is vividly portrayed, and you get a real sense of Gwen's danger. I could feel her confusion at Fitz and Johnny's actions and her bewilderment at their lack of demands. Fitz's kindness and Southern gentleman ways soon lodge in Gwen's heart, though she knows she is no good for him. Fitz is oblivious to her feelings for him as the weeks pass, and he involves her in his songwriting. I ached for Gwen and her unrequited love for Fitz and couldn't wait for him to wake up to the truth. That eye-opening moment was fantastic and led to one of the more emotional scenes in the book—Gwen's trepidation as she faced his family as his wife leaped off the page. I loved Cabot's reaction.
This is where the Spanish-American war interrupts everyone's plans. I loved how this section explained much of how the conflict came about. As reporters for Cabot's paper, Bracken and Fitz are on the ground during the preparations and the fighting. The author uses little details to bring the events to life, from the chaos of the preparations at Tampa to the intensity of the charge up San Juan Hill and its aftermath. Using historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Clara Barton ("How it takes one back. Is this Sharpsburg or San Juan?") also showed that the country was healing, as men who had once been bitter enemies fought under one flag. This includes former Rebel Fighting Joe Wheeler, who reportedly forgot what war he was fighting, and, during the charge, yelled, "Come on boys, we've got the damn Yankees on the run!" The events of this war have lasting effects on Bracken and Fitz.
Bracken's sister Virginia is another important player in this book. At eighteen, she is pretty and vivacious and admits to being spoiled by her parents and brother. But she has a kind heart, too, and thinks of others such as Sir Gratian and Dinah's sister Clare. Unsurprisingly, the oldest son, Edward, Lord Alwyn, falls hard for her. But Virginia is drawn to younger brother Archie, who is the much nicer of the two. Later in the book, Virginia compares the two men to raw whiskey and champagne, stating, "You can get just as tight on champagne, and it's much nicer." And "That's why I want Archie. He's champagne, too. Very dry." But Archie is an honorable man, a new lawyer with few prospects, and doesn't care to be seen as a fortune hunter. I loved seeing Bracken manipulate things a little to give Archie the push he needs and seeing Virginia take matters into her own hands.… (mer)
This book focuses mainly on Bracken Murray, the son of Eden and Cabot Murray. He is a reporter for his father's newspaper and will eventually take over the paper. His life is in turmoil as his wife left him for another man. Lisl was a selfish, greedy woman who the family never liked. Bracken has long since stopped loving her, but she refuses to divorce him. To help distract him from his troubles, Cabot sends Bracken to London to cover the Queen's Jubilee. His sister Virginia and Aunt Sue go along so Virginia can be presented at Court.
A lot is going on in the first section of the book. Bracken is setting up a branch office of the paper in London. At the same time, he is watching over Virginia and Aunt Sue. They have also been charged with finding out about the Farthingale estate, where their ancestor St. John was born. As luck would have it, the home is for sale and available to rent. After meeting the owner, Sir Gratian, he invites them to visit. The description of the building and their immediate feeling of homecoming is vivid and emotional. The next day, while out for an early morning ride, Bracken encounters Dinah, the youngest daughter of their neighbors. Bracken is stunned by his reaction to her and the realization that she is his destiny. The problem is that A) he is still married, and B) she isn't quite sixteen yet. I enjoyed the early part of their relationship as they became friends, and Bracken cautiously walked the line between friend and want-to-be lover. Dinah is sweet and naïve and utterly oblivious to Bracken's feelings. The author does a terrific job of showing what life is like for people of that social set and the issues that face him.
The Murray family returns to New York at the end of the summer, with Bracken having every intention of returning as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Spanish-American War lays waste to those plans, and his return is delayed by two years. Much has happened to Bracken during those years, but his feelings for Dinah have not changed. They have stayed in touch via letter, and their friendship has grown accordingly. Their reunion is sweet, and there is a hint that Dinah is developing feelings other than friendship for him. I liked seeing how his mother, Eden, and sister helped facilitate opportunities for Bracken to see Dinah in everyday situations. He is working hard to get his divorce settled when an unexpected twist throws everything into disarray. At the same time, Dinah faces issues with her family over her friendship with Bracken. The scene at Scotland Yard was excellent, and I adored seeing Dinah flummox them all. The ending was fantastic.
The middle section of the book is mainly devoted to Fitz. He is Sedgewick and Melicent's son and puzzles everyone in the family. Fitz has no interest in joining his father's law firm or doing anything else. His primary interest in life is collecting songs. He is very musical, writes his own music, and drives his family nuts with what they perceive as his laziness. Desperate to do something about him, Melicent asks her brother Cabot to give Fitz a job on the paper. Fitz isn't interested but is talked into it by Aunt Sue. He settles into the work with the help of another reporter, Johnny, but finds himself fascinated by the New York theater scene. He starts seriously working on his music. While visiting a music hall, he and Johnny rescue a young woman from a gambling gang.
Gwen is nothing like the women Fitz has known all his life. She is independent and accustomed to looking after herself. The rescue scene is vividly portrayed, and you get a real sense of Gwen's danger. I could feel her confusion at Fitz and Johnny's actions and her bewilderment at their lack of demands. Fitz's kindness and Southern gentleman ways soon lodge in Gwen's heart, though she knows she is no good for him. Fitz is oblivious to her feelings for him as the weeks pass, and he involves her in his songwriting. I ached for Gwen and her unrequited love for Fitz and couldn't wait for him to wake up to the truth. That eye-opening moment was fantastic and led to one of the more emotional scenes in the book—Gwen's trepidation as she faced his family as his wife leaped off the page. I loved Cabot's reaction.
This is where the Spanish-American war interrupts everyone's plans. I loved how this section explained much of how the conflict came about. As reporters for Cabot's paper, Bracken and Fitz are on the ground during the preparations and the fighting. The author uses little details to bring the events to life, from the chaos of the preparations at Tampa to the intensity of the charge up San Juan Hill and its aftermath. Using historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Clara Barton ("How it takes one back. Is this Sharpsburg or San Juan?") also showed that the country was healing, as men who had once been bitter enemies fought under one flag. This includes former Rebel Fighting Joe Wheeler, who reportedly forgot what war he was fighting, and, during the charge, yelled, "Come on boys, we've got the damn Yankees on the run!" The events of this war have lasting effects on Bracken and Fitz.
Bracken's sister Virginia is another important player in this book. At eighteen, she is pretty and vivacious and admits to being spoiled by her parents and brother. But she has a kind heart, too, and thinks of others such as Sir Gratian and Dinah's sister Clare. Unsurprisingly, the oldest son, Edward, Lord Alwyn, falls hard for her. But Virginia is drawn to younger brother Archie, who is the much nicer of the two. Later in the book, Virginia compares the two men to raw whiskey and champagne, stating, "You can get just as tight on champagne, and it's much nicer." And "That's why I want Archie. He's champagne, too. Very dry." But Archie is an honorable man, a new lawyer with few prospects, and doesn't care to be seen as a fortune hunter. I loved seeing Bracken manipulate things a little to give Archie the push he needs and seeing Virginia take matters into her own hands.… (mer)
I decided to read this after seeing the many positive reviews on Goodreads, but unfortunately, the novel fell short of my expectations. It was a decent book, but I felt as though the language went from flowery to stilted rather abruptly, and a good chunk of the characters irritated me in some manner. I was drawn to the story because I heard the words "Williamsburg" and "Revolutionary War" - sadly, those alone weren't enough to make me fall in love with the book, unlike so many other readers. I doubt I will continue with the rest of the series... I'll stick to John Jakes' "North and South" trilogy for an American historical saga fix. (Not that the two are THAT similar - I'm just reminded of it a bit.)… (mer)
I originally read Dawn’s Early Light by Elswyth Thane many years ago and I held onto the memory of how much I enjoyed the book, so when I saw it was available for the Kindle I picked up a copy. This is the story of Julian Day, a young Englishman who arrives in Williamsburg, Virginia months before the beginning of the American Revolution. From his early stance of being pro-British, he eventually becomes so attached to his new country that by the middle of the book, he is off to join the American army.
The details about the various campaigns were well researched and full of interesting details. Also living and working in Williamsburg brought Julian into contact with many important men of the times, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. This book is actually the first book in the author’s Williamsburg series, and so there are also many additional characters to follow. First and foremost is Tibby Mawes who meets Julian and falls in love with him, even though she is only eleven at the time. His best friend St. John Sprague draws him into his own family and Julian is treated as one of the family by St. John’s aunt and sister.
As much as I enjoyed revisiting this book, I am quite contented to end my reading of the series here. There are areas in the book, originally published in 1943, that I found quite dated, in particular, the author’s statements as to how happy and contented the slaves were but it certainly caught my attention that the colonists biggest concern when the British took the ammunition from their armoury was fear that the slaves would rise up against them. Overall I would say that I enjoyed reading about the various battles and campaigns, but that the romance angles felt contrived and rather superficial and didn’t really appeal to me as much as they did originally when I was twelve.… (mer)
The details about the various campaigns were well researched and full of interesting details. Also living and working in Williamsburg brought Julian into contact with many important men of the times, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. This book is actually the first book in the author’s Williamsburg series, and so there are also many additional characters to follow. First and foremost is Tibby Mawes who meets Julian and falls in love with him, even though she is only eleven at the time. His best friend St. John Sprague draws him into his own family and Julian is treated as one of the family by St. John’s aunt and sister.
As much as I enjoyed revisiting this book, I am quite contented to end my reading of the series here. There are areas in the book, originally published in 1943, that I found quite dated, in particular, the author’s statements as to how happy and contented the slaves were but it certainly caught my attention that the colonists biggest concern when the British took the ammunition from their armoury was fear that the slaves would rise up against them. Overall I would say that I enjoyed reading about the various battles and campaigns, but that the romance angles felt contrived and rather superficial and didn’t really appeal to me as much as they did originally when I was twelve.… (mer)
Listor
Priser
Du skulle kanske också gilla
Associerade författare
Statistik
- Verk
- 33
- Medlemmar
- 1,811
- Popularitet
- #14,204
- Betyg
- 4.2
- Recensioner
- 33
- ISBN
- 109
- Favoritmärkt
- 2
Originally published in 1939 and set in the lovely English countryside, this is a romantic ghost story as Sabrina and her family arrive to take up a lease on the country home of Nun’s Farthing. Sabrina’s father is working on a book about prehistoric England, her aunt Effie runs the household and eighteen year old Sabrina is relaxing and learning about life outside of the school room. She becomes obsessed by the locked bedroom of one of the owner’s sons. Eventually she picks the lock and spends much of her time in this room wondering about the man who lives there. Meanwhile in India, the man in question, Hilary is dying after taking a bullet. Hilary longs to return home and feels a connection drawing him back to Nun’s Farthing. He soon realizes that Sabrina is the connection and would have been his wife if he had lived. Together they form a strong bond as his presence becomes her sanctuary.
I think I was around twelve when I first read Tryst so of course the story didn’t speak to me emotionally as strongly as it did when I was at that impressionable age. I am not sure what I would have thought of this book if this had been my first read but I suspect the old lady in me would have had more appreciation for Aunt Effie and her concerns. This time I did notice the number of fore-warnings that the author scattered throughout the story. The writing is simple and straightforward and she easily manages to pass her opinions on war, family and love to the reader.… (mer)