What I found out by doing some research is that Gladys eventually divorced and Eleanor’s (Jill’s) husband died of cancer at some point. It’s unclear what the role of the husbands were at the farm, they are not mentioned frequently in the books. For many years after, Gladys wrote of life at Stillmeadow. The women initially commuted on weekends, but within two years they decided to move permanently to the farmhouse. The young family lived in a small, dark apartment in NYC, but she and her childhood friend and NYC neighbor, Eleanor (Jill in the books) yearned for a simpler, cleaner life in the country to raise their children and beloved dogs, away from the smog and noise of the big city.Īfter two years of searching NJ and CT for an affordable farm, the two families purchased the vintage 1690 Southbury, CT farmhouse for $30K and soon found there was much work to be done as the home was dilapidated beyond what they had assumed upon purchase. Gladys married Frank Taber and had one daughter, Constance. from Lawrence College and taught creative writing at Columbia for years. She was a columnist for Ladies Home Journal and Family Circle, had a bachelors degree from Wellesly, an M.A. If you click on the link, scroll down her post a little to find info and a tour of Stillmeadow.Ī little info about Gladys – Born in 1899, died at the age of 81 at her Cape Cod home, she was the author of 59 books including the Stillmeadow series currently on my nightstand. You can find Susan Branch’s wonderful blog and post about Gladys HERE. I discovered Gladys through another favorite author of mine – also a respite read if you are looking for upbeat home and heart warming stories, art, recipes and musings on life. She died on March 11, 1980, leaving 50 published books as her legacy.ġ925/8 Lady of the Moon1929 Lyonnesse1934 Late Climbs the Sun1935 Tomorrow May Be Fair1937 The Evergreen Tree1938 Long Tails and Short1938 A Star to Steer By1938 This Is For Always1940 Harvest at Stillmeadow1944 The Heart Has April Too1944 Give Us This Day1944 Nurse in Blue1945/9 Especially Spaniels1945 Give Me the Stars1946 The Family on Maple Street1947/8 Flower Arranging for the American Home1947/51 Stillmeadow Kitchen1948 The Book of Stillmeadow1948 Daisy and Dobbin, Two Little Seahorses1949 Especially Father1949 The First Book of Dogs1950 The First Book of Cats1950 Stillmeadow Seasons1952 When Dogs Meet People1953 Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge1955 Stillmeadow Daybook1957 Mrs.I’m so disgusted by our current political atmosphere that I have been seeking respite from all that blustery ego and dagger waggering crap… and I have found it in the wonderful books of Stillmeadow by a renown (but unknown to me till now) author… Gladys Taber. Marriage and a baby interrupted her academic career, then for more than 20 years, she lived in her vintage 1690 Southbury, Connecticut farmhouse, having commuted to New York part of the time to teach creative writing at Columbia University. Later, she received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley and her M.A. She lived in New Mexico, California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and spent time on her grandfather's farm in Massachusetts. Gladys Taber, beloved author of The Stillmeadow books, columnist for "Ladies Home Journal" and "Family Circle", was born in Colorado Springs on April 12, 1899, and spent most of her early years moving because of her father's work as a mining engineer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |