Mary Burchell

Cook, Ida

24 featured booksCook, Ida

Mary Burchell was the pen name of Ida Cook and published all her novels under this name from 1936 to 1985. Ida Cook was born on 24 August 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her older sister (Mary) Louise Cook (b. 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 publish 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 and ten 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. Ida Cook passed away on 22 December 1986 and her sister Louise in 1991.

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Overview

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24 representative editions

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Display name
Mary Burchell
Personal name
Cook, Ida
Source identifier
OL892147A

Featured books

Representative editions for works actually authored by this person.

Works in catalog

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Inherit my heart
Representative edition published 2021
Open Work
Fatal Jeopardy
Representative edition published 2016
Open Work
Safe Passage
Representative edition published 2009
Open Work
Song Cycle
Representative edition published 2003
Open Work
Tell Me My Fortune
Representative edition published 2001
Open Work
The Broken Wing
Representative edition published 2000
Open Work
A Song Begins
Representative edition published 2000
Open Work
Dare I Be Happy?
Representative edition published 1991
Open Work
Romance Treasury
Representative edition published 1986
Open Work
One Of The Family
Representative edition published 1985
Open Work
On Wings Of Song
Representative edition published 1985
Open Work
Romance Treasury
Representative edition published 1985
Open Work
House of Conflict
Representative edition published 1984
Open Work
Hospital Corridors
Representative edition published 1984
Open Work
Then Come Kiss Me
Representative edition published 1983
Open Work
It's Rumoured in the Village / Except My Love / Strangers May Marry
Representative edition published 1983
Open Work
Masquerade With Music
Representative edition published 1983
Open Work
We Followed Our Stars
Representative edition published 1983
Open Work
The Wedding Dress
Representative edition published 1982
Open Work
Nobody Asked Me
Representative edition published 1981
Open Work
Nightingales
Representative edition published 1981
Open Work
Yours with Love
Representative edition published 1981
Open Work
DEAR TRUSTEE
Representative edition published 1980
Open Work
On the air
Representative edition published 1980
Open Work