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Zulma Carraud
Zulma Carraud.jpg
Portrait of Zulma Carraud and her son Ivan
Born Estelle Zulma Tourangin-Courant
(1796-03-24)March 24, 1796
Issoudun
Died April 24, 1889(1889-04-24) (aged 93)
Paris
Resting place Nohant-en-Graçay
Occupation Author
Nationality French
Notable works La Petite Jeanne ou le devoir
Maurice ou le travail

Zulma Carraud (born March 24, 1796 – died April 24, 1889) was a French author. She is well-known for writing books for children and school textbooks. Her most famous works are La Petite Jeanne ou le devoir and Maurice ou le travail.

Who Was Zulma Carraud?

Zulma Carraud was born in Issoudun, France, on March 24, 1796. She went to a boarding school where she met Laure de Balzac. Through Laure, she became good friends with Laure's famous brother, Honoré de Balzac, a well-known writer. They remained friends throughout their lives.

In 1816, Zulma married her second cousin, François Michel Carraud. He was 15 years older than her. They had two sons named Ivan and Yorick. Later in the 1850s, the family moved to Nohant to live with Zulma's brother. This move was due to some financial difficulties. Zulma Carraud passed away in Paris on April 24, 1889, at the age of 93.

Zulma Carraud's Career as a Writer

After moving to Nohant, Zulma Carraud started helping her community. From 1852 to 1868, she worked as a volunteer country doctor. She also taught at a local rural school. While teaching, she noticed that there weren't many good books for the children she taught.

This inspired her to start writing her own books and textbooks. She wanted to create books specifically for children living in rural areas. Her stories were special because they focused on main characters who were not from rich or city families. Instead, her characters were often from farming or peasant families. This was a new idea for children's books at the time.

Her Famous Children's Books

Zulma Carraud's first book was La Petite Jeanne ou le devoir (Little Jeanne or Duty). It was published in 1852 and was written for girls. Her second book, Maurice ou le travail (Maurice or Work), came out in 1853 and was for boys.

Both books became very popular across France. They were even approved by important officials like the Minister of Public Instruction and the Archbishop of Paris. Between 1864 and 1920, these two books sold over 400,000 copies! Schools used them to teach children from rural backgrounds how to read. The books also taught them important values and ideas about how boys and girls should act in society.

See also

In Spanish: Zulma Carraud para niños

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