Thursday, August 16, 1934

We washed today. Mother baked bread but it was spoiled (yeast). I finished reading my book today.

Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974)

A British historical romance and detective fiction novelist, Heyer's writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.

Heyer essentially established the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance. Beginning in 1932 and for a number of years after, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year. Notoriously private, she refused to grant intervirws, reportedly telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."

Her books were very popular in Britain during the Great Depression and World War II. Her novels, which journalist Lesley McDowell described as containing "derring-do, dashing blades, and maids in peril", allowed readers to escape from the mundane and difficult elements of their lives.

When first released as mass market paperbacks in the United States in 1966, her 56 novels and numerous short stories were described as being "in the tradition of Jane Austen". As other novelists began to imitate her style and continued to develop the Regency romance, their novels were described as "following in the romantic tradition of Georgette Heyer" Even  today Regency writers covet that accolade.

Happy Birthday, Georgette Heyer!