Violet Needham facts for kids

Amy Violet Needham (born June 5, 1876, in Mayfair; died June 8, 1967) was a popular author who wrote 19 books for children.

Her Early Life

Violet Needham was born in London, England. Her father, Charles Needham, was a soldier in the 1st Life Guards. Her mother, Henriette Amélie Charlotte Vincentia, came from a wealthy Dutch family. Charles Needham enjoyed gambling, so the family's money sometimes went up and down.

The family often spent their summer holidays in Europe. They even lived there for six years when Violet and her sister were young women. This was because her father worked in Rome from 1895 to 1901. In 1902, the family moved back to England. Her mother bought a house called Tylehurst in Forest Row, East Sussex, which was their home for 35 years.

Violet enjoyed gardening and spending time at home. Her sister, Evelyn, had four sons. Violet was a very loving aunt to them. She would tell them bedtime stories. These stories later became the basis for her famous "Stormy Petrel" adventure books.

At first, publishers thought her stories were too hard for children to understand. But after her parents passed away, Violet moved to London. There, she finally got a chance to show her book, The Black Riders, to a publishing company called William Collins, Sons. The children of one of the company's directors loved the story, and it was published!

Becoming a Writer

Violet Needham started writing later in her life. Her first book, The Black Riders, came out in 1939 when she was 63 years old. During her lifetime, she wrote 19 novels. Her books can be put into three main groups: Ruritanian, historical, and contemporary.

The Ruritanian novels are her most famous. There are eleven of them, and they are sometimes called the Empire series or the Stormy Petrel series. These stories are set in three made-up countries in Eastern Europe: the Empire, Flavonia, and Ornowitza. Ornowitza is a small duchy, or kingdom, located between the other two.

The "Stormy Petrel" Adventures

Her first novel, The Black Riders, introduces a brave hero named Dick Fauconbois. People often called him the "Stormy Petrel." He lives in the Empire but also visits Flavonia in the story. The book is about an orphan boy who joins a secret group of rebels. This group is led by a kind leader known as Far-Away Moses.

Their main enemy is Count Jasper, also known as Jasper the Terrible. He is the leader of a dangerous group called the Black Riders. The story also features a main girl character, Wych Hazel.

Later Years

In the early 1950s, Violet Needham left her London home. She went to live with her sister, Evelyn, who was a widow. After a car accident, Violet stopped writing books. The two sisters passed away just one day apart in June 1967. Violet died on June 8th, and Evelyn on June 9th.

List of Her Books

Here are the books Violet Needham wrote:

Ruritanian Books

• The Black Riders (1939)
• The Emerald Crown (1940)
• The Stormy Petrel (1942)
• The Woods of Windri (1944)
• The House of the Paladin (1945)
• The Changeling of Monte Lucio (1946)
• The Betrayer (1950)
• Richard and the Golden Horse Shoe (1954)
• The Great House of Estraville (1955)
• The Secret of the White Peacock (1956)
• The Red Rose of Ruvina (1957)

Contemporary Books

• The Horn of Merlyns (1943)
• The Bell of the Four Evangelists (1947)
• Pandora of Parrham Royal (1951)
• How Many Miles to Babylon? (1953)

Historical Books

• The Boy in Red (1948)
• The Avenue (1952)
• Adventures at Hampton Court (1954)
• Adventures at Windsor Castle (1957)