Julia Kavanagh
Encyclopedia
Julia Kavanagh was an Irish novelist, born at Thurles
in Tipperary
, Ireland.
(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. Thereafter she supported herself and her invalid mother, Bridget (a lifelong companion), with her writing career. 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.”
On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
, Kavanagh moved with her mother from Paris to Rouen
. After her mother's 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.”
, simple and pleasing, aimed at younger woman readers; her main characters tend to be strong independent and resourceful women. She was popular and had a loyal readership. She was also a prolific contributor to periodical literature, and also wrote many biographical sketches. Her works include:
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
in Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
, Ireland.
Biography
She was the daughter of Morgan Peter KavanaghMorgan Peter Kavanagh
Morgan Peter Kavanagh was an Irish author, poet, and novelist. He was the father of Julia Kavanagh.His first published works were poetry. He then wrote a book on linguistics called The Discovery of the Science of Languages , which postulated the origin of speech in prehistoric mime...
(died 1874), author of various philological works and some poems. Julia spent several years of her early life with her parents in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, 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. Thereafter she supported herself and her invalid mother, Bridget (a lifelong companion), with her writing career. 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.”
On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Kavanagh moved with her mother from Paris to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. After her mother's death, she moved to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, where she died unmarried; a devout Catholic, her last words, in French, were: “Oh Mama! how silly I am to have fallen.”
Works
The scenes of Kavanaugh's stories are almost always laid in France. Her style is domesticHome
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
, simple and pleasing, aimed at younger woman readers; her main characters tend to be strong independent and resourceful women. She was popular and had a loyal readership. She was also a prolific contributor to periodical literature, and also wrote many biographical sketches. Her works include:
- 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)
External links
- Works by or about Julia Kavanagh at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated)