Dorothea Gerard facts for kids

Dorothea Gerard Longard de Longgarde

Dorothea Mary Stanislaus Gerard (also known as Mme Longard de Longgarde) was a Scottish writer. She was born on August 9, 1855, and passed away on September 29, 1915. Dorothea wrote many novels, often exploring interesting and sometimes challenging topics. She was known for looking closely at how different cultures and people interacted. She also wrote about prejudice.

At first, she wrote for fun with her older sister, Emily Gerard. Later, Dorothea became a very successful writer on her own. She published about forty books between 1890 and 1916. Many of her books were for Tauchnitz editions. This meant her main readers were English-speaking travelers in Europe.

Growing Up: Dorothea Gerard's Early Years

Dorothea Gerard was born in 1855 at Rochsoles House in New Monkland, Scotland. She was the youngest daughter of Colonel Archibald Gerard and Euphemia Erskine Robison. Her mother was the daughter of a famous inventor, Sir John Robison.

Dorothea had three sisters and three brothers. One of her brothers was General Sir Montagu Gilbert Gerard. Her sister Emily Gerard, who was born in 1849, was also a novelist. The two sisters worked together on several books.

Family and Education

The Gerard family originally belonged to the Scottish Episcopal Church. However, their mother became a Catholic in 1848. Because of this, Dorothea and her siblings were raised as Catholics.

In 1861, Dorothea lived at Rochsoles House with her parents and sisters. They had many servants helping them. From 1863 to 1866, the Gerard family lived in Vienna, Austria.

Dorothea was taught at home until her mother passed away in 1870. After that, her older sister Emily, who was already married, took care of her. Dorothea joined Emily in Austria. She continued her education there, studying European languages at the Sacré Coeur convent in Riedenburg.

Both Dorothea and Emily became active writers in the British literary world in the late 1800s. They worked together and also wrote books on their own.

Writing Together: The Gerard Sisters

In 1877, Dorothea started writing novels. Her first big project was working with her sister Emily Gerard. They used the joint pen name E. D. Gerard.

Their first collaborative novel was Reata; or What's in a Name (1880). This story was about a Mexican girl trying to get used to European customs. It was published in Blackwood's Magazine. They published three more novels together in the same magazine:

• Beggar My Neighbour (1882)
• The Waters of Hercules (1885)
• A Sensitive Plant (1891)

A newspaper called The Saturday Review once described them as "one of the most fascinating of our lady novelists."

Life After Marriage: A Successful Author

On April 12, 1887, Dorothea Gerard married Captain Julius Longard in Marburg. He was an officer in the 7th Austrian Lancers in the Austro-Hungarian Army. After her marriage, Dorothea lived much of her life in Austria and Galicia in Eastern Europe.

Many of her novels were set in these places. They often featured romantic stories between European noble families. After getting married, Dorothea worried about forgetting her native English language. So, she made sure to read and write in English as much as possible.

In 1894, her husband was given the title 'Longard de Longgarde'. Dorothea and Julius had one daughter, Dorothée Stanislaw Julia (1888–1943).

Independent Writing Career

After her marriage, Dorothea stopped working with her sister Emily. She became a very successful novelist on her own. Some of her well-known books from this period include Recha, Etelka's Vow, and A Queen of Curds and Cream.

Her short story 'My Nightmare', from her book On The Way Through (1892), has been included in many collections of Victorian horror and suspense stories. As Dorothea Longard de Longgarde, she became arguably the more successful and definitely the more productive writer of the two sisters. She was so well-known that in 1893, she was interviewed for 'Portraits of Celebrities at Different Ages' in The Strand Magazine.

Dorothea Gerard passed away after a long illness in September 1915. She was 60 years old. She had been living quietly in Vienna for several years. She was buried in her family's burial place at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Selected Works

Dorothea Gerard was a very productive writer. Here are some of her notable works, both with her sister and on her own:

Books Written with Emily Gerard (as E. D. Gerard)

• Reata; or What's in a Name (1880)
• Beggar My Neighbour (1882)
• The Waters of Hercules (1885)
• A Sensitive Plant (1891)

Books Written by Dorothea Gerard (as D. Gerard)

• Lady Baby: A novel (1890)
• Recha (1890)
• Orthodox (1891)
• On the Way Through and Other Tales (1892)
• A Queen of Curds and Cream (1892)
• Etelka's Vow: A novel (1892)
• The Rich Miss Riddell (1894)
• The Wrong Man (1896)
• A Spotless Reputation (1897)
• The Blood-Tax: A Study in Militarism (1902)
• The Eternal Woman (1903)
• The Austrian Officer at Work and at Play (1913)