Frances Hodgson Burnett 1849-1924

Burnett was a well known writer in the Victorian age, whose books for children became best sellers. She was born in Manchester to a business family. In her childhood, the family lost money, after the death of her father. They moved to America, to Tennesee. She liked writing and began to earn some money writing stories... She loved flowers and that led, later to her book The Secret Garden. She grew up partly in Manchester, but had relatives in America who took her in when her family lost its money. Then her uncle's business in Tennessee failed and she was forced to rely on her own resources. She married Swan Burnett, who was training as a doctor at the age of 22. They spent a couple of years in Paris, where Swan completed his studies. They had two sons, Lionel and Vyvyan, whom she loved and dressed in fancy clothes. They returned to America, and Swan began to make a fair living as a doctor, but they had money problems and Frances continued to write, and earned quite well, but her husband resented her being more successful than him. Tensions built up in her marriage, and she became exhausted with looking after her children, writing and being a literary hostess. In 1884 she wrote her most successful novel Little Lord Fauntleroy, about a child who turns out to be the son of an English lord... While some critics mocked the work, especially the bits about young Cedric wearing velvet suits and having long curle, it sold very well and she was comfortably off. But her elder son Lionel died of TB and her marriage was on a downward slide. She lived partly in England and partly back in America. She and Swan divorced in 1898 - on grounds of desertion by her husband.. but it was a mutual decision. She had met an actor, Stephen Townsend and in her house in England, she moved him in, calling him her secretary. There was gossip about this, and she then married him. But he was much younger than her, and it was clear that he had married her for her money. She soon discovered that the marriage was a big mistake. M/F

Publishing stories - Update

Due to illness I've had to stop publishing my stories at present. I'll update in case people would like to read some of them. Still ill....

Roman Bride

Its a short story, by Nadine Sutton available on Amazon. A story of a British soldier, part of King Arthur's band, who marries a Roman lady. She finds that one of the women in the Fort seems to be chasing her husband.

Roman Bride a story by Nadine Sutton

This story is available on Amazon... I may publish some more in due course but Im not in great health. Hope some people will like my historical romances. I've enjoyed writing in different eras.

The Kitten lady and her kittens

Hannah is busy with Kitten Season and looking after tiny cats who need care and love. People can help by fostering little kittens till they are old enough to go to a forever home.

Roman Bride By Nadine Sutton.. a short novella.

A story I've republished, which is available on Amazon. Its a short romantic story set in the time of King Arthur, about a British soldier who marries Flavia, a Romano British lady.. who is not sure she wants to be married to a British man. She finds that a lady of Arthur's court seems to have an interest in her husband. Available on Amazon by Nadine Sutton.

Deepening Stream Part II

Matey and Adrian have a daughter Priscilla (called Petella) a year after their marriage and then a son. Matey's sister Priscilla comes to stay to see her new niece, and seems to settle into the dull but pleasant life of the Forts and their friends. She does not seem to be bothered that it is provincial and "small towny", now. She gets involved with Peter Russell, a neighbour in their town who is a very quiet dull shadowy man. His wife died leaving him with several small daughters who need a mother. Priscilla decides to marry him and look after the children, though it seems that she does not want sex or more children, but is happy to have a life taking care of Peter and his children. Matey is also happy with her life. Francis, their brother, has married. He and his wife have a baby daughter but the child dies a few days after birth and he is very upset. War breaks out in Europe, the First World War, and Matey hears news from her French and Belgian friends. She is horrified by the barbarity of war, in the 20th century and upsets herself a lot thinking about it. She becomes irritated by the way that her friends in her small town America home seem indifferent to the war. Adrian, though he has a Quaker background, is very ambivalent. He starts to think that although he is too much of a Quaker to fight, he should on moral grounds get involved with the war and try to help the French. Francis tells him there's nothing he can do and that he should not neglect his own children when he cannot make a difference in Europe. But Matey is also upset and wants to do something to help. She and Adrian take their two small children and sail to France. They spend the war years in France, with Adrian working driving an ambulance, and Matey doing social work, helping refugees to get whatever assistance is available.. and their own children go to school there. Matey works very hard, but Adrian is very ambivalent. He wants to help the French, but he feels unhappy about being part of the war machine and feels that war is brutal and evil and he can't seem to see that sometimes it is necessary. Matey decides to spend the money she inherited from her great aunt, helping people in France. She meets her brother, at the end of the war, and is upset to find that he is pleased that he and other Americans have made money out of the war.