Julia Kavanagh

Julia Kavanagh (January 7, 1824 – October 28, 1877) was an Irish novelist, born at Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland.

She was the daughter of Morgan Peter Kavanagh (died 1874), author of various philological works and some poems. Julia spent several years of her early life with her parents in Normandy, laying there the foundation of a mastery of the French language and insight into French modes of thought, which was perfected by her later frequent and long residences in France.

Kavanagh's literary career began after the move of her and her mother to London in about 1844, after separating from her father in France.^[1] Thereafter she supported herself and her invalid mother, Bridget (a lifelong companion), with her writing career.^[1] Her first book was Three Paths (1847), a story for the young; but her first work to attract notice was Madeleine, a Tale of Auvergne (1848), a story of 'heroic charity and living faith founded on fact.'^[1]

The scenes of her stories are almost always laid in France. Her style is domestic, simple and pleasing, aimed at younger woman readers; her main characters tend to be strong independent and resourceful women.^[1] Kavanagh was popular and had a loyal readership.^[1] She was also a prolific contributor to periodical literature, and also wrote many biographical sketches.^[2]

On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War Julia Kavanagh moved with her mother from Paris to Rouen. After her mothers death she moved to Nice, where she died unmarried; a devout Catholic, her last words, in French, were: 'Oh Mama! how silly I am to have fallen.'^[1]

Works

• The Three Paths (1847)
• Madeleine, a Tale of Auvergne (1848)
• Woman in France during the 18th Century (1850)
• Nathalie (1851)
• Women of Christianity (1852)
• Daisy Burns (1853)
• Rachel Gray (1855)
• Adele (1857)
• A Summer and Winter in the Two Sicilies (1858)
• French Women of Letters (1862)
• English Women of Letters (1862)
• Queen Mab (1863)
• Beatrice (1865)
• Dora (1868)
• Silvia (1870)
• Bessie (1872)
• John Dorrien (1875)
• Forget-Me-Nots (1878, posthumous edition, preface by C. W. Wood)

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

External links

• Works by or about Julia Kavanagh at Internet Archive (scanned books original editions color illustrated)