Grace Zaring Stone facts for kids

Grace Zaring Stone (born January 9, 1891, died September 29, 1991) was an American writer. She wrote many novels and short stories. She is well-known because three of her books were made into movies. These films were The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Winter Meeting, and Escape. Grace Zaring Stone also used a different name for some of her books, which was Ethel Vance.

About Grace Zaring Stone

Grace Zaring Stone was born in New York City in 1891. She was related to a famous social reformer named Robert Owen. Her mother passed away when Grace was a child.

She began her writing career in St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. She lived there with her husband, Ellis Spencer Stone. He later became a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy. At one point, he was in charge of all the aircraft carriers. Luckily, none of these ships were at Pearl Harbor during the 1941 attack, so they were safe.

Later, Grace and her husband moved to Stonington, Connecticut. They had one child, a daughter named Eleanor Perenyi. Eleanor also grew up to be a writer and a gardener.

Why She Used a Different Name

Grace Zaring Stone used the name Ethel Vance for her 1939 book called Escape. This book was a thriller about fighting against the Nazis. She used a different name to protect her daughter. At that time, her daughter was living in Europe, which was occupied during World War II. Using a different name helped keep her daughter safe.

After the war, some of her books were published with both names. They would say "Grace Zaring Stone (Ethel Vance)". This was because Escape was her most famous book during the war years.

Books That Became Movies

Three of Grace Zaring Stone's novels were turned into films:

• The Bitter Tea of General Yen
• Escape
• Winter Meeting

In 1955, her book Escape was translated into German. It was published in Germany with the title Die Flucht.

Her Later Years and Death

Grace Zaring Stone lived a very long life. She passed away on September 29, 1991. She was 100 years old when she died at the Mary Elizabeth Nursing Center in Mystic, Connecticut.