Madeleine Masson facts for kids

Madeleine Rayner (born Madeleine Levy; 23 April 1912 – 23 August 2007), known as Madeleine Masson, was a writer from South Africa. She wrote many different things, like plays, movie scripts, novels, and books about real people's lives.

Early Life and Studies

Madeleine Masson was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1912. Her father, Emile Levy, was a French banker, and her mother, Lili, was from Vienna.

When Madeleine was 18, she went to Paris with her parents. There, she met a wealthy baron. She later wrote in her autobiography, I Never Kissed Paris Goodbye, that it felt like a fairy tale. She even took the name "Masson" from one of the baron's titles.

However, Madeleine soon decided that this wealthy life was not for her. She left that world and chose a different path. She went to the Sorbonne to study history and philosophy. She also studied art in Munich. She began writing for a literary magazine called Les Nouvelles littéraires.

Helping in World War II

When World War II started, Madeleine Masson was in France. She decided to join the French Resistance, a secret group that fought against the enemy. She helped by carrying important messages and helping people escape to safety. It was a very difficult and dangerous time.

Years later, she helped Tim Buckmaster write a book about his father, Maurice Buckmaster. He was a leader in the SOE, a special British group that worked with the Resistance.

Writing Career

Madeleine Masson met Captain John Rayner during a trip to Saint Helena, an island where Napoleon was once held. They fell in love and were married for 32 years.

While living in Bosham, England, Madeleine started her own public relations company. But she never stopped writing! She wrote many plays, movie scripts, and novels. She also wrote books about the lives of famous people.

Two of her most famous books were her own autobiography and biographies of Edwina, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and the brave spy Krystyna Skarbek.

Even in 2007, when she was very old, Madeleine was still busy writing. She was working on a novel about a sad event that happened in a French village called Oradour-sur-Glane during the war. She was also writing a book about Baroness Emma Orczy, who wrote the famous book The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Meeting Krystyna Skarbek

Madeleine Masson met Krystyna Skarbek (also known as Christine Granville) on a ship trip in 1952. Skarbek was working as a stewardess on the ship. Madeleine was very interested in her. She later wrote that she wished she had paid more attention to every word Skarbek said.

A few days after they arrived in England, Madeleine was shocked to read in the newspaper that Christine Granville had been murdered. Later, she learned about Skarbek's amazing bravery and adventures during the war.

Madeleine wanted to learn more about Skarbek. She found people who had known Skarbek and her friend Andrzej Kowerski. Madeleine's own life had some similarities to Skarbek's, which helped her understand Skarbek better. She learned a lot from Kowerski, and her book about Skarbek is very detailed.

Death

Madeleine Masson passed away on 23 August 2007. She was 95 years old.

See also

• Krystyna Skarbek