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Rosamunde Scott Pilcher was born on September 22, 1924 in Lelant, Cornwall. She grew up in Cornwall and attended a secretarial college. Ms. Pilcher served in the Women's Royal Navy Service during the years 1943-1946. She married Graham Hope Pilcher in 1946 and they moved to Dundee, Scotland, where she still lives. They had 4 children, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Author Robin Pilcher is her eldest son.
Rosamunde's first book was published in 1949 under the pseudonym, Jane Fraser. It was called Half-Way To The Moon. Ten books were published under the Jane Fraser name, but in 1955, the first Rosamunde Pilcher book came out. It was titled A Secret To Tell and Ms. Pilcher wrote another 17 books with her own name as author in upcoming years. Probably the most famous of her novels is The Shell Seekers, written in 1987. And that's where I come in... The first Rosamunde Pilcher book that I devoured was indeed The Shell Seekers. It was extremely popular and I can remember hearing a lot of talk about it at the library, which is where I got my books at that time. All my books. I was a young mother, working full time, with a 5-year-old and little time to read longer novels. However, I just hadn't yet met Penelope Keeling and heard about the beautiful painting that her father had created - The Shell Seekers. This is a family story that tells of Penelope's life, her parents, her children, and what will happen to her most prized possession, the painting. Set in Cornwall, it was filmed for TV and Angela Lansbury played the part of Penelope.
Another book that I loved so much was Coming Home, written in 1995, and an even longer tale, something like 1,000 pages or so. Just a wonderful story of a young girl named Judith Dunbar, who is left behind by her family at boarding school, again in Cornwall, during the years before WWII. Her family is stationed in Singapore and Judith stays for school. She meets another girl, Loveday Carey-Lewis, and becomes involved with Loveday's family, joining them at their home filled with aristocracy. The war comes and Judith and Loveday are caught up in the events and the novel turns into quite a saga. It was great! This book was written in a time period (80's, 90's) when many long, long books were so popular and I loved stories that went on and on and on. Coming Home was also made into a TV movie.
I have two more favorites that I won't say too much about, but both are very good. September is a sort of sequel to The Shell Seekers. One of the characters carries over, Penelope's son, Noel. This book is set in Scotland in the fall. And the last book written by Ms. Pilcher in 2000, Winter Solstice, is another favorite. Also, set in Scotland in the winter this time, it tells a story from the viewpoints of 5 characters when their lives cross in a big old house in the fishing town of Creagan. It may be chilly outside, but it's homey inside. So, if you like family sagas or wonderful books with lovely Cornish or Scottish settings, if you like Maeve Binchy's books, you might try a tale by Rosamunde Pilcher. She has many other shorter books that I have not sampled as yet. Maybe one day.
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Have you read any of Rosamunde Pilcher's books? Do you have favorites? I'd love to hear.
My mother loved her books, but I'm sorry to say that I've never read them. Maybe now--
ReplyDeleteI think many loved her books.
DeleteThanks for sharing this news. I never read her personally, but I always hear about readers' love for The Shell Seekers.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see books that aren't considered true "classics" endure the test of time. Perhaps I look for this at my library.
Her books are good, Rita. You might see if they would suit you. I bet you'd find them at used bookstores pretty easily too since they are older.
DeleteI loved her novels (more than the shorter novellas) and plan to reread The Shell Seekers in the coming months. It is one of my all-time favorite novels and probably the first book I read that showed me what sort of emotions lyrical writing could evoke in me. I remember looking at the beauty of the world in a different light after reading TSS. Something about her words made me happy to be alive! I also hope to get back to Coming Home, which I started a few years ago, but never finished. I'm so sad she's gone.
ReplyDeleteI remember thinking that she had such a gift for description.
DeleteI, too, was saddened to learn of her passing. The Shell Seekers remains one of my all-time favorite novels. I loved the worlds and characters Pilcher created in her novels, which brought me many hours of reading pleasure.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you, Catherine.
DeleteSad!!! I didn't know she'd passed away. She's one of my favorite authors. I love all her books so much; I have a row of them on my top shelf. Snow in April and End of Summer are two of my favs.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's lovely, Lark. She passed away earlier this week, Wednesday maybe. Glad you liked them too.
DeleteSounds like Rosamunde Pilcher lived a long and productive life and is leaving lots of fans behind. I've never read anything by her. If you like her, though, I'll have to give her books a go. Too bad there won't be any new ones :(
ReplyDeleteThey were definitely very popular 20 years ago or so. She wrote for a very long time.
DeleteI remember reading "The Shell Seekers" and I loved it. Lovely tribute to Rosamunde Pilcher, thank you. x (Hardly ever do I read novels, it has to be VERY good!)
ReplyDeleteKay, I'm glad that this authors books were important to you. :-)
DeleteIt makes me sad how authors go in and out of fashion. Almost every woman was reading her work, and Jan Karon's, and others, but now not much. I'm always happy to see when someone is coming back into the consciousness of readers. I believe DE Stevenson is now. As I have said before, I greatly prefer RP's short stories. Almost every book has some facet that I just can't get over so I don't enjoy the whole book. Prob silly but there it is.
ReplyDeleteNot silly, Nan, just what you like. We each have our own preferences and sometimes those change and sometimes they don't, right? I remember you saying that you liked her short stories best. Yes, authors do come in and out of 'fashion'. I think it's nice when a new generation of readers can 'discover' an author.
DeleteAs I read along in one of her short story collections, I was reminded of a book I read last month by Jenni Keer. The connection being that there are a variety of ages, and they get along together. So many books (movies) are about one age group. Everybody is 20 or 40 or 70. I like a combination of ages, and Rosamunde certainly wrote about the connections between generations.
DeleteWhat a lovely post, Kay! I'm glad that we share a love of Rosamunde Pilcher's writing. I've only read a couple of Maeve Binchy's books, but I should get back to them and read more. I liked the ones I read but didn't love them the way I did Pilcher's stories.
ReplyDeleteRobin, I haven't read any books by either of those ladies for a long time. My reading does seem to have seasons and themes. It's possible I'll cycle around to them again or I may just have my lovely memories.
DeleteRobin, the early Maeve books are very different from the later ones. Old Ireland and new, I think. I have written quite a bit on the blog about these later books. I love them beyond words. I would say beginning with Evening Class is when the change happened.
DeleteI listened to the audiobook of The End of Summer years ago. I did enjoy it, particularly the descriptions of the family estate, the loch and surrounding landscape. I meant to find her books and read them - but never did! Maybe now is the time. Sad to hear of her death.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was sad, but she lived to a good age - 94!
DeleteI cannot believe I've never read any of her books. I do like family sagas so I think I would really enjoy these. Granted, long books are not on the top of list! ha.
ReplyDeleteThe Shell Seekers is not as long as Coming Home, but they are both chunksters. So popular in times past.
DeleteNooooo! I am so sad to hear this sad news. She has given me, and so many others, hours of enjoyable reading. I still think about some of her characters as if they are real people -- she was that good. Thanks for sharing this info and for your tribute to her.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about her characters, Margot. Yes, sad indeed. This author gave the world a lot through her writing.
DeleteI remember The Shell Seekers, vaguely, as a book I liked. This makes me want to go back and read some mysteries from a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteYes, thinking about how much I liked books in the past always makes me want to reread them. Not sure I have time to do that with all of them. Ha!
DeleteSorry to hear about this author's death. I always feel bereft when a favorite or admired author dies. I am familiar with the name but never read anything by her. Guess I was always mostly reading from the mystery genre.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that, Tracy. I did read a lot of mysteries, but I also had that time where I read romance and the long family saga type books. Pilcher wrote a good story.
DeleteOh Kay I don't know how I missed this! I discovered The Shell Seekers in high school and read it over and over. I read it so much that I had to replace my paperback copy 3 times! Have you ever read her short story collections? They are a little sweet but delightful. I think I might have to pull my copies and read them.
ReplyDeleteI have not read her short stories, but there are certainly many who love them. Glad she was important to you as well, Katherine.
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