M. M. Kaye
M. M. Kaye, born Mary Margaret Kaye in 1908 in Simla, India, was a notable author known for her sweeping historical novels. The daughter of a prominent British official, Kaye was educated in England but returned to India shortly after completing her studies. Her literary career began in England writing children's books under the pseudonym Mollie Kaye. In 1945, she married Godfrey John Hamilton, which led to extensive travels across various regions, including India, Egypt, and Europe, influencing her writing. Kaye's most acclaimed work, *The Far Pavilions*, published in 1978 after fifteen years of writing, is an epic romance that garnered significant popularity and was adapted into a television miniseries. Following her husband’s retirement in 1962, the couple settled in Sussex, where Kaye pursued painting and edited works by Rudyard Kipling. She passed away on January 29, 2004, at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy of rich storytelling that has resonated with readers worldwide.
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M. M. Kaye
Writer
- Born: August 21, 1908
- Birthplace: Simla, India
- Died: January 29, 2004
- Place of death: Lavenham, England
Biography
Mary Margaret Kaye was born in Simla, India, in 1908, the daughter of Sir Cecil Kaye, Director of Central Intelligence of India. She was sent to boarding school in England at age ten, but immediately after obtaining her education she returned to India. In 1935, Kaye’s father died, and she went to England to begin her writing career. There she wrote children’s books and greeting cards using the name Mollie Kaye.
After five years of writing in England, Kaye moved back to India, where in 1945 she married Godfrey John Hamilton, an officer in Queen Victoria’s Corps of Guides. Because of her husband’s military job, he traveled extensively, taking her with him. Kaye traveled all over India, and also to Egypt, Kenya, Germany, England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, a total of twenty-seven moves. These drastically different locales showed Kaye much of the world, and gave her ample material to write about.
Kaye’s most important book, The Far Pavilions, took her fifteen years to write. Eventually published in 1978, the thousand-page epic romance novel sold millions of copies, was adapted into a six-hour television miniseries, and was popular enough for travel companies to base vacations in India around the locations in the book. In 1962, Hamilton retired, and the couple settled down in Sussex. Kaye spent the last years of her life painting and editing several volumes of poetry written by Rudyard Kipling. She died on January 29, 2004, at the age of ninety- five.