Elisabeth Kyle
Elisabeth Kyle was a Scottish author born in Ayr, Scotland, who developed a passion for literature at a young age, largely influenced by her father, an attorney with a deep love for storytelling. After his death when she was nine, she continued to cultivate her literary interests, often creating captivating stories that delighted those around her. Encouraged by a family friend, she began writing children's stories in her late adolescence, which marked the start of a prolific writing career lasting until her death in 1982.
Kyle's works often reflect her deep connection to Scotland, showcasing themes and settings familiar to her life. Among her notable works are "The House of the Pelican" and "Caroline House," which explore both mystery and historical narratives. She held a particular fascination with Scottish history, writing extensively about figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots, and also produced biographies of renowned musicians and authors, including Jenny Lind and Charles Dickens. Despite facing criticism for her sentimental and melodramatic style, Kyle's prolific output and dedication to her craft have left a lasting impact on Scottish literature.
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Subject Terms
Elisabeth Kyle
Fiction & Nonfiction and Children's Literature Writer
- Born: 1896
- Birthplace: Ayr, Scotland
- Died: February 23, 1982
Biography
Born in Ayr, Scotland, where she was privately schooled by tutors, Elisabeth Kyle was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Riddle Dunlop. Her father, an attorney, died when she was nine years old, but by then he had imbued in her a love of literature and an interest in storytelling Although James practiced law, his first love was literature. His home was full of books, whose contents he began to share with his daughter when she was three or four. By the time she could read on her own, Elisabeth’s thirst for literature was great. She had been exposed to the classics and, with her father as censor, was shielded from books he considered inappropriate for one of her age as well as from books that were poorly written.
Before she had any thought of writing books herself, Kyle was an inveterate storyteller. She could invent stories out of thin air and beguiled many of those around her with tales that bristled with suspense. She succeeded in building the dramatic tension that enticed her listeners. An editor who was a family friend suggested during Kyle’s late adolescence that she might try writing children’s stories for annuals, just as Charles Dickens had as he was launching his career. From that time until her death in 1982, she wrote and published a steady stream of books: some for children, others for adults.
Much of Kyle’s writing is centered in the Scotland that she knew best. In The House of the Pelican, she creates a mystery that captures the various dispositions of Edinburgh, while in Caroline House, she presents an enthralling tale about the tobacco lords of Glasgow Intrigued by history, particularly the history of Scotland, she wrote several books about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her royal retinue. In The Key of the Castle, written for a preadolescent audience, the book’s young protagonist is a page boy who seeks to rescue the imprisoned Queen Mary from Lockleven. Girl with a Destiny: The Story of Mary of Orange considers Queen Mary’s life up to her ascending the English throne with King William in 1688, while Girl with a Lantern relates the story of Grizel Hume from her childhood until her return from the Netherlands with William and Mary.
Kyle also wrote biographies of several musicians and their families. Among these were biographies of Jenny Lind, Clara and Robert Schumann, and Nina and Edvard Grieg. She wrote as well about such writers as Charles Dickens and Emily and Charlotte Brontë.
Although much of her writing is overly dependent upon coincidence and facile explanations and although she has been criticized for being overly sentimental and melodramatic in some of her stories, Kyle was productive and unquestionably accomplished in her craft.