Ida Cook (24 August 190422 December 1986) was a British campaigner for Jewish refugees and a romance novelist as Mary Burchell. Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991) rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honoured as

Righteous among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( he, חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, ; "righteous (plural) of the world's nations") is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to sav ...

by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Between 1936 and 1985, under the pseudonym Mary Burchell, Ida Cook wrote 112 romance novels for

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

— many of which were later republished by

Harlequin Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...

. She helped to found the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuart ...

, serving as its second president from 1966 to 1986.

Biography

Personal life

Ida Cook was born on 24 August 1904 in

Sunderland, County Durham Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, England. With her elder sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991), she attended

The Duchess's Community High School The Duchess's Community High School is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form located in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is a community school administered by Northumberland County Council. History In 1809, the Du ...

in Alnwick and later took civil service jobs in London. Both Ida and her sister, Louise, developed a passionate interest in opera. During the 1930s, as part of the work they undertook to help Jews to escape from the Nazi regime, the sisters visited Germany on multiple occasions, using their genuine enthusiasm for opera as a cover for their frequent travel and smuggled Jewish people's jewellery and other valuables into England, thereby enabling Jews fleeing Germany to satisfy British financial security requirements for immigration. They worked with Austrian conductor

Clemens Krauss Clemens Heinrich Krauss (31 March 189316 May 1954) was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and Richard Wagner. Krauss was born in Vienna to Clementine Krauss, the ...

and his wife, the soprano

Viorica Ursuleac Viorica Ursuleac (26 March 189422 October 1985) was a Romanian operatic soprano. Viorica Ursuleac was born the daughter of a Greek Orthodox archdeacon, in Chernivtsi, which is now in Ukraine. Following training in Vienna, she made her operatic ...

, who had initially told them of the persecution of the Jews. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965 the Cook sisters were honoured as

by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel. In 2010 the British Government named each of them a

British Hero of the Holocaust The British Hero of the Holocaust award is a special national award given by the government of the United Kingdom in recognition of British citizens who assisted in rescuing victims of the Holocaust. On 9 March 2010, it was awarded to 25 individ ...

Writing career

In 1936 Ida published her first romance novels as Mary Burchell. During her career she wrote 112 romances for

, later re-edited by Harlequin Books, including the famous ''Warrender Saga'', a series about the opera and concert-hall world. She incorporated many famous operas (''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...

'', ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Евгений Оне́гин, ромáн в стихáх, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈnʲeɡʲɪn, r=Yevgeniy Onegin, roman v stikhakh) is a novel in verse written by Ale ...

'' and ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'', among others) into the ''Warrender'' series plots. She wrote in the Romantic Novelists' Association's newsletter: In 1950 she published her autobiography, ''We Followed Our Stars''. In 2008 it was re-issued, re-edited and expanded as ''Safe Passage''. She ghost-wrote

Tito Gobbi Tito Gobbi (24 October 19135 March 1984) was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation. He made his operatic debut in Gubbio in 1935 as Count Rodolfo in Bellini's ''La sonnambula'' and quickly appeared in Italy's major opera ...

's autobiography, ''My Life'' and was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1956 when she was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

at the BBC Television Theatre.

Legacy

In January 2017 Sunderland Council erected a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

commemorating the sisters on the site of their childhood home at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland. In 2021, investigative journalist

Isabel Vincent Isabel Vincent (born 1965 in Toronto) a Canadian investigative journalist who writes for the ''New York Post'', is an alumna of the University of Toronto's ''The'' ''Varsity'' newspaper and the author of five books. Early life and education Bor ...

published ''Two Against Hitler: The True Story of Two Courageous Sisters, a Rescue Mission in the Third Reich, and Opera,'' about the Cook sisters. In 2017 producer Donald Rosenfeld discussed plans to make a film of the sisters' humanitarian work and his efforts to unseal CIA files on their activities. The film was to be based on the research by Vincent. An episode of the documentary series ''

Mysteries at the Museum ''Mysteries at the Museum'' is an hour-long television program on the Travel Channel which features museum artifacts of unusual or mysterious origins. Plot Each episode is focused on interesting and unusual artifacts held in museums. The show ...

'' featured the sisters' activities in rescuing Jews from Nazi Germany.

Bibliography

Burchell's works include:

As Mary Burchell

Single novels

*''Wife to Christopher'', 1936 *''Except my Love'', 1937 *''Nobody Asked Me'', 1937 *''But Not For Me'', 1938 *''Other Lips Have Loved You (later republished as Two Loves Have I)'', 1938 *''With all my Worldly goods'', 1938 *''Yet Love Remains'', 1938 *''After Office Hours'', 1939 *''Little Sister'', 1939 *''One of the Family'', 1939 *''Such is Love'', 1939 *''I'll Go With You'', 1940 *''Pay Me Tomorrow'', 1940 *''Yours With Love'', 1940 *''Accompanied by his Wife'', 1941 *''Always Yours'', 1941 *''Just a Nice Girl'', 1941 *''Strangers May Marry'', 1941 *''Love Made the Choice'', 1942 *''Thine Is My Heart'', 1942 *''Where Shall I Wander? (later republished as Bargain Wife)'', 1942 *''Dare I Be Happy?'', 1943 *''My Old Love Came'', 1943 *''Dearly Beloved'', 1944 *''Take Me with You'', 1944 *''Thanks to Elizabeth'', 1944 *''Away Went Love'', 1945 *''Meant for Each Other'', 1945 *''Find Out the Way'', 1946 *''First Love-Last Love'', 1946 *''Wife by Arrangement'', 1946 *''Not Without You'', 1947 *''Under Joint Management'', 1947 *''Ward of Lucifer'', 1947 *''If You Care'', 1948 *''The Brave in Heart'' 1948 *''Then Come Kiss Me'', 1948 *''Choose Which You Will'', 1949 *''I Will Love You Still'', 1949 *''If This Were All'', 1949 *''Wish on the Moon'', 1949 *''A Letter for Don'', 1950 *''At First Sight'', 1950 *''Love Him or Leave Him'', 1950 *''Here I Belong'', 1951 *''Mine for a Day'', 1951 *''Tell Me My Fortune'', 1951 *''Over the Blue Mountains'', 1952 *''Stolen Heart'', 1952 *''Sweet Adventure'', 1952 *''A Ring on Her Finger'', 1953 *''No Real Relation'', 1953 *''The Heart Cannot Forget'', 1953 *''The Heart Must Choose'' 1953 *''Meet Me Again (later republished as Nurse Allison's Trust)'', 1954 *''Under the Stars of Paris'', 1954 *''When Love's Beginning'', 1954 *''The Prettiest Girl'', 1955 *''Yours to Command'', 1955 *''For Ever and Ever'', 1956 *''Loving is Giving'', 1956 *''On the Air'', 1956 *''To Journey Together'', 1956 *''And Falsely Pledge My Love'', 1957 *''It's Rumoured in the Village'', 1957 *''Joanna at the Grange'', 1957 *''Love is my Reason'', 1957 *''Loyal in All (later republished as Nurse Marika, Loyal in All'', 1957 *''Dear Sir'' 1958 *''Dear Trustee'', 1958 *''Hospital Corridors'', 1958 *''The Girl in the Blue Dress'', 1958 *''Honey'', 1959 *''Star Quality (later republished as Surgeon of Distinction)'', 1959 *''Across the Counter'', 1960 *''Choose the One You'll Marry'', 1960 *''Corner House'', 1960 *''Paris-and my love'', 1960 *''My Sister Celia'', 1961 *''Reluctant Relation'', 1961 *''The Wedding Dress'', 1961 *''House of Conflict'', 1962 *''Inherit My Heart'', 1962 *''Dangerous Loving'', 1963 *''Sweet Meadows'', 1963 *''Do Not Go, My Love'', 1964/01 *''The Strange Quest of Anne Weston (later republished as The Strange Quest of Nurse Anne)'', 1964 *''Girl With a Challenge'', 1965 *''Her Sister's Children'', 1965 *''The Other Linding Girl'', 1966 *''Cinderella After Midnight'', 1967 *''The Marshall Family'', 1967 *''Though Worlds Apart'', 1967 *''Missing from Home'', 1968 *''A Home for Joy'', 1969 *''The Rosewood Box'', 1970 *''Call and I'll Come'', 1970 *''Second Marriage'', 1971 *''One Man's Heart'' 1971

The Warrender Saga

#''A Song Begins'', 1965 (

) #''The Broken Wing'' (later republished as Damaged Angel), 1966 (excerpts

Così fan tutte (''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte w ...

Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first performed at La Fenice ...

Norma (opera) ''Norma'' () is a ''tragedia lirica'' or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after the play ''Norma, ou L'infanticide'' (''Norma, or The Infanticide'') by Alexandre Soumet. It was first produced at La Scala in Mil ...

) #''When Love is Blind'', 1967 (Beethoven's 3rd Concerto) #''The Curtain Rises'', 1969 (

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

) #''Child of Music'', 1971 #''Music of the Heart'', 1972 #''Unbidden Melody'', 1973 (

) #''Song Cycle'', 1974 #''Remembered Serenade'', 1975 (

L'amore dei tre re (''The Love of the Three Kings'') is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his play of the same title. Performance history ''L'amore de tre re'' premiere ...

) #''Elusive Harmony'', 1976 (

André Chénier André Marie Chénier (; 30 October 176225 July 1794) was a French poet of Greek and Franco-Levantine origin, associated with the events of the French Revolution of which he was a victim. His sensual, emotive poetry marks him as one of the precur ...

) #''Nightingales'', 1980 ( Mendolssohn's Elijah) #''Masquerade with Music'', 1982 ( I Pagliacci)) #''On Wings of Song'', 1985 ( Alceste,

Suor Angelica ''Suor Angelica'' (''Sister Angelica'') is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as ''Il trittico'' (''The Triptych''). It received its wor ...

)

Omnibus collections

*''3 Great Novels: Take Me With You; Choose Which You Will; Meant for Each Other'' (1975) *''3 Great Novels: The Heart Cannot Forget; Ward of Lucifer; A Home for Joy'' *''3 Great Novels: The Other Linding Girl; Girl with a Challenge; My Sister Celia'' *''It's Rumored in the Village / Except My Love / Strangers May Marry'' (1983)

Anthologies in collaboration

*Golden Harlequin Library Vol. VIII: Choose The One You'll Marry / Sweet Barbary / Senior Surgeon at St. David's (1970) (with

Pamela Kent Ida Julia Pollock ( Crowe; 12 April 1908 – 3 December 2013) was a British writer of several short-stories and over 125 romance novels that were published under her married name, Ida Pollock, and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. ...

and

Elizabeth Gilzean Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS Elizabeth, HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * Elisa ...

) *Golden Harlequin Library XLI: Over The Blue Mountains; Summer Lightning; Lucy Lamb; Doctor's Wife (1973) (with

Sara Seale Sara Seale, was the pseudonym by Mary Jane MacPherson (d. ) and/or A.D.L. MacPherson (d. ), a British writing team of over 45 romance novels as from 1932 to 1971. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Ne ...

and Jill Tahourdin) *Tell Me My Fortune / A Scent Of Lemons / Country Of The Wine (1979) (with Jill Christian and

Mary Wibberley Mary Wibberley ( – 29 December 2013) was an English romantic fiction writer. Born in Worsley, she wrote 48 novels for Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald ...

) *Harlequin Classic Library (1980) (with

Elizabeth Hoy Alice Nina Hoysradt, née Conarain (born in Dublin, Ireland) was an Irish writer of over 70 romance novels as her maiden name Nina Conarain and under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Hoy from 1933 to 1980. Biography Alice Nina Conarain was born in Du ...

, Alex Stuart, Susan Barrie,

Juliet Shore Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

, Jean S. MacLeod,

Elizabeth Houghton Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

and Jill Tahourdin) *Just a Nice Girl / Pride of Madeira / Valley of Paradise (1983) (with

Elizabeth Hunter Elizabeth Ann "Beth" Hunter (also Walters and Sutherland) is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera ''Home and Away'', played by Clarissa House. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 April 2003 and departed o ...

and

Margaret Rome Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

) *The Hills of Maketu / Under the Stars of Paris / Every Wise Man (1986) (with

Gloria Bevan Gloria Isabel Bevan (20 July 1911 - 1998.) was an Australian-born New Zealand writer of romantic fiction. Early life Bevan was born on 20 July 1911 in Kalgoorlie, Australia, where her father was a mining engineer. When she was three years old, ...

and

Jacqueline Gilbert Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

)

As Ida Cook

Non-fiction

*'' We Followed Our Stars'' (1950), re-released as ''Safe Passage'' (2008) and later ''The Bravest Voices'' (2021) (autobiography)

References and sources

External links

Extensive biographical article
in ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Burchell, Mary 1904 births 1986 deaths English romantic fiction writers People from Sunderland 20th-century English novelists British Righteous Among the Nations Pseudonymous women writers 20th-century English women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers