Anne Rivers Siddons facts for kids

Anne Rivers Siddons (born Sybil Anne Rivers, January 9, 1936 – September 11, 2019) was an American writer. She was famous for her novels, which were often set in the southern United States. Her stories usually took place in the South, telling tales about life and people there.

Early Life and Education

Anne Rivers Siddons was the only child of Marvin and Katherine Rivers. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Fairburn, Georgia.

She went to Auburn University. At first, she studied architecture, but later changed her major to illustration. While at Auburn, she was a very popular student. She was even named "Loveliest of the Plains." She was also a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

A Brave Voice

During her time at Auburn, Anne wrote a column for the student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman. In her column, she wrote about important topics. She supported the idea of integration, which meant bringing people of different races together.

The university leaders tried to stop her column from being published. They even fired her because she refused to change what she wrote. Her brave writing caught national attention.

Her Writing Career

After college, Anne worked in advertising for a while. But she really wanted to write stories. So, in 1963, she became a writer for Atlanta magazine. She eventually became a senior editor there.

First Novels and Big Success

Anne's first novel was Heartbreak Hotel, published in 1976. Later, her book Peachtree Road became a huge bestseller. This novel was set in Atlanta, Georgia. Another famous Southern writer, Pat Conroy, called it "the Southern novel for our generation." More than a million copies of Peachtree Road have been sold.

Books on Screen

Some of Anne's books were even made into movies!

• In 1989, her book Heartbreak Hotel became a movie called Heart of Dixie. It starred actors like Ally Sheedy and Phoebe Cates.
• Her book The House Next Door was made into a TV movie in 2006. It aired on Lifetime Television. The movie tells the story of a woman who feels drawn to a house with a strange, evil feeling. This house seems to affect the people who live there.

Later Works

Anne Rivers Siddons signed big deals to write more books. In 1994, she signed with HarperCollins to write four books. Later, she signed with Warner Books. Her novel Off Season came out in 2008. Her book Burnt Mountain (2011) was also listed as one of the best books of that year by many reviewers.

Personal Life

Anne Rivers Siddons married Heyward Siddons when she was thirty years old. He passed away in 2014.

In the early 1980s, she faced some personal challenges. This made it hard for her to write for about four years. In 1991, she received an honorary degree from Oglethorpe University. This means they recognized her great achievements.

Anne lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and spent her summers in Maine. She passed away in Charleston on September 11, 2019, at the age of 83.

Selected Novels

• Heartbreak Hotel (1976)
• The House Next Door (1978)
• Peachtree Road (1988)
• Outer Banks (1991)
• Colony (1992)
• Up Island (1997)
• Low Country (1998)
• Nora, Nora (2000)
• Sweetwater Creek (2005)
• Off Season (2008)
• Burnt Mountain (2010)
• The Girls of August (2014)