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This is just for people semi-desperate for info on what Gladys Malvern books are about. It's definitely nothing fancy. But it is copyrighted. I sold a few of our Malvern books and these notes (below) are from the auction descriptions. This page is just an off shoot of one entry of Reviews and Comments on the Fly. |
| My Lady, My Love |
My Lady, My Love
The
story of Isabella of Valois
A
Classic Young Adult book
for
about ages 14-18 + adult
Author: Gladys Malvern
Publisher: Macrae Smith Company: Philadelphia
Format: hardcover, library bound (dustjacket is not available)
Edition: Copyright 1957, unknown edition
Additional Info: 206 pages, size is approx. 8" x 5.5"
My Lady My Love is a rare, out-of-print book. Its author, Gladys Malvern, wrote quite a few other popular books. Some of these titles are: Behold, Your Queen; The Foreigner; The Six Wives of Henry VIII; Your Kind Indulgence; Ann Lawrence of Old New York; and Jonica's Island. The ones I've read are simple tales that are very pleasantly diverting. I especially enjoy the historical tidbits that Malvern has interwoven throughout her stories. My Lady My Love has more than its share of historical tidbits.
Spoiler: (This is what I remember from reading it about 3 years ago. My memory is sketchy, so don't put a terrible amount of weight on this.) My penciled notes on the front free endpaper read: "c1384-c1396 p15 Isabella marries Richard Excellent story of Richard II of England". In this story, Isabella of Valois (part of France) travels to England to marry King Richard II. She is approx. 9-11 years old. This is a marriage that is supposed to provide for peace. After meeting him, Isabella fancies herself in love with him. They don't exactly ever live together because of her young age and Richard II's throne is in danger (or something like that). After some intrigue, which I can't remember (but found interesting, I think Richard abdicates p.135), Isabella ends up marrying someone in France. She realizes that her love of Richard II was the love of a child needing attention and not mature love like she feels for her betrothed Frenchman. Some topics that I see while paging through the book: Thomas Mowbray, Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Arundel, Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Norfolk, Henry of Lancaster, Parliament, Archbishop of Canterbury. Excellent story.
| Behold Your Queen! |
Behold Your Queen!
The
story of Esther, Queen of Persia
A
Classic Young Adult book
for
about ages 14-18 + adult
Author: Gladys Malvern
Publisher: Longmans, Green and Co.
Format: hardcover, library rebound (dustjacket is not available)
Edition: Copyright 1951, 1959 printing
Additional Info: 218 pages, size is approx. 8" x 5.5"
Spoiler: In this story, Hadassah lives with her Uncle Mordecai. She is chosen to represent her town in a "casting call" of sorts. The King of Persia, Ahasuerus, has decided to find a new bride. Hadassah's name is changed to Esther. Her kindness and good heart delights the king and he is entranced by her. They marry, and when the king's prime minister declares her people should die, she goes to her husband and pleads her people's case, thus saving them! It's a pleasant bit of fiction based on a biblical story.
| Your Kind Indulgence |
It was fascinating reading about the early days of the New York City theater and all the terminology that goes along with that. I would think that any young person interested in theater or drama would enjoy this book. There are quotes from various plays and discussion of claques and other theater-type traditions that I'd never heard of. It discussed how the players knew Shakespeare inside and out and often quoted him whenever any situation presented an opportunity.
Here's the info from the dustjacket flap, "... another heart-warming love story of a proud young girl, striving for a career in New York's first theatre, when the city was a bustling town of 20,000 and Hanover Square was the residential district. Susanna Gage was just sixteen when she set sail for America in the year 1778 to join the John Street Players in New York. She was in love with young Lord Carleton in England, but she knew, as the daughter of strolling players from the provinces, that she could ever marry a son of the aristocracy. Perhaps if she were to become respected and popular like the famous Mrs. Siddons who, despite being an actress was received in London drawing rooms, then Lord Carleton might marry her. On the ship she met a young American doctor who tried to be friendly but Susanna knew it would not do for them to be seen together. It would not help her career or his, for even in America an actress was not accepted in society and a young doctor certainly must not be touched by scandal. In New York Susanna continues to avoid Dr. Townsend. It is not until she saves his life during the famous riot against the doctors of the city, and her career is consequently threatened and not until she again meets Lord Carleton, that Susanna realizes that if she can't be another Mrs. Siddons, she might be very happy Mrs. Townsend."
I wondered if Mrs. Siddons was real, and she was an actual actress on the London stage. I found information on her by doing an internet search.
Dedication page, "FOR CORINNE--whose kind indulgence I have often severely tried -- and never once found wanting" Corinne is the author's sister.
The back
of the dustjacket goes into some very interesting information on Gladys
and Corinne Malvern. It also lists some of Gladys Malvern's other
books which are:
Ann Lawrence
of Old New York
Floria,
Ballet Dancer
Curtain
Going Up!
Jonica's
Island
Possibly
she wrote My Lady, My Love and Behold, Your Queen after this book.
| Jonica's Island |
Jonica's
Island
A
Classic Young Adult book
for
about ages 13-18 + adult
Author: Gladys Malvern
Publisher:
Julian
Messner, Inc.
8 West
405h Street, New York City 18
Format:
Edition: Copyright 1945, edition not stated, but likely a first since it is listed last on a list of books by Gladys Malvern found in the front of the book
Illustrator: Corinne Malvern (sister of author)
Additional Info: 255 pages, size is approx. 7.5" x 5.15"
Gladys Malvern had quite a run years ago with her historical novels. They made her a well-loved author of many young girls and women. Jonica's Island is a scarce, out-of-print book. Gladys Malvern also wrote these popular books: My Lady, My Love; The Foreigner; The Six Wives of Henry VIII; Your Kind Indulgence; Ann Lawrence of Old New York; Meg's Fortune; and Stephanie. The ones I've read are simple tales that are very pleasantly diverting; I've never been disappointed yet. I especially enjoy the historical tidbits that Malvern has interwoven throughout her stories.
Jonica's Island seems to read like an adventure/drama, with the focus on Jonica's good character, instead of a romance.
From bit of dustjacket: Jonica tried not to think about what would have happened to her if Gerrit had not rescued her and brought her to his mother. And as she worked busily away, there in her new home, she felt sure she owed her life to Gerrit. She was happy, too. For didn't Gerrit and five of his six brothers like her? Didn't the family--all except Willem--wish her to join in their Sant Nikolaas celebration? Yes, Jonica belonged--until the sad day when something valuable disappeared from the house during the time she was there alone."
Spoiler: Time setting: 1660. In this story, Jonica lives with her father. He is banished from New Amsterdam in the first few pages of the book. Jonica is going to be a ward of the church, but a young friend asks his parents to take her in as an indentured servant when she was 13. She serves the Van der Voorts and is very thankful for a family to live with. She learns to be a homemaker from the mother who sees Jonica as the daughter she never had (if memory serves). Her father sneaks up and accosts her while she's out feeding the pigs one night and tries to get her to steal from the Van der Voorts, but she has too much integrity for that. She also will not tell on her father out of respect, so she suffers in silence, fearing he will show up again and ruin her lovely, but hardworking, life with the Van der Voorts. A valuable piece of jewelry (or something similar) ends up missing and Jonica is blamed. She's innocent, but is banished to live with the Van der Voorts dour son-in-law and his wife in the wilderness a couple of days walk away (or close to that). She works hard there also always remains thankful. After a year? or so, there was an Indian uprising/massacre of some sort and an outbreak of smallpox around the same time. Jonica hears that Mrs. Van der Voort is in need of help, so she runs off to serve her mistress and the Van der Voort family. Once everyone recovers, it's found out that Jonica's father has died and that he was the one who had stolen the valuable piece of jewelry (it wasn't Jonica). Jonica is accepted into the family because of her bravery and loyalty to the family during the smallpox outbreak and eventually is engaged to one of the Van der Voort sons. Very sweet story--a pleasant bit of fiction.
There are quite a few historical tidbits included. This is about the southern tip of Manhattan Island (New York) back when it was Dutch and called Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam). Manhattan Island was written "Isleland of Manhadoes." The courting tradition of giving a handkerchief is presented. Sweeping sand into designs on the floor is mentioned a few times. Wall Street is still just a wall protecting the settlement. The best families had names: Stuyvesant, Bayard, Van Alstyn, de Peyster, de la Montagne, Roosevelt, Van Cortlandt, Beekman, de Schaik, Kip, de Sille, Van Klumpft. Description of life in the colony is included. Lots of interesting period terminology with glossary in back.
| Stephanie |
From a bit of dustjacket: "Any girl who has dreamed of being a princess will be entranced by Stephanie, who rose from obscure poverty to giddy heights at the court of Napoleon.
"Although she was the niece of Josephine Bonaparte, Stephanie spent her childhood in a crumbling villa in Languedoc. When one of her uncles comes to take her away, it seems the wildest of dreams come true as she learns that her Aunt Josephine has summoned her to Paris. Three years later, not quite sixteen, she emerges from a select finishing school, beautiful, accomplished, eager to please. Still hardly believing that she, the waif from Languedoc, is actually living in the Tuileries, she enjoys every glittering moment at Napoleon's court. And so irresistible is Stephanie that she captivates even the great Napoleon, who recognizes her charm and accomplishments by making her Princess Imperial of France.
"But Stephanie finds that life in a palace is not all glitter and gaiety. And when a young prince asks for her hand, she realizes that even a princess cannot always expect to live happily ever after - unless she is true to the best in herself."
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