Elizabeth Goudge’s Followers (800)

Elizabeth Goudge

Born

in Wells, The United Kingdom

April 24, 1900

Died

April 01, 1984

Genre

Romance, Children's Books, Short Stories

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Elizabeth Goudge was an English author of novels, short stories and children's books.

Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her Elizabeth Goudge was an English author of novels, short stories and children's books.

Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her parents. During this time, she wrote a few plays, and was encouraged to write novels by a publisher. As her writing career took off, she began to travel to other nations. Unfortunately, she suffered from depression for much of her life. She had great empathy for people and a talent for finding the comic side of things, displayed to great effect in her writing.

Goudge's first book, The Fairies' Baby and Other Stories (1919), was a failure and it was several years before she authored Island Magic (1934), which is based on Channel Island stories, many of which she had learned from her mother, who was from Guernsey. After the death of her father, Goudge and her mother went to Devon, and eventually wound up living there in a small cottage. There, she wrote prolifically and was happy.

After the death of her mother, and at the wishes of Goudge's family who wished her to live closer to them, she found a companion who moved with her to Rose Cottage in Reading. She lived out her life there, and had many dogs in her life. Goudge loved dogs, and much preferred their company to that of humans. She continued to write until shortly before her death, when ill health, successive falls, and cataracts hindered her ability to write. She was much loved.

Goudge was awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Little White Horse (1946), the book which J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, has said was her favorite as a child. The television mini-series Moonacre was based on The Little White Horse. Her Green Dolphin Country (1944) was made into a film (under its American title, Green Dolphin Street) which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948.

A Diary of Prayer (1966) was one of Goudge's last works. She spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2008. ...more

Combine Editions
Elizabeth Goudge’s books

Average rating: 4.15 · 38,172 ratings · 4,766 reviews · 112 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Little White Horse 4.09 avg rating — 14,219 ratings — published 1946 — 42 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Scent of Water 4.16 avg rating — 2,773 ratings — published 1963 — 49 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Linnets and Valerians 4.18 avg rating — 2,647 ratings — published 1964 — 35 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Green Dolphin Street 4.22 avg rating — 2,555 ratings — published 1944 — 102 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pilgrim's Inn (Eliots of Damerosehay, #2) 4.37 avg rating — 2,138 ratings — published 1948 — 91 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dean's Watch 4.49 avg rating — 1,836 ratings — published 1960 — 55 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Bird in the Tree (Eliots of Damerosehay, #1) 4.23 avg rating — 1,910 ratings — published 1940 — 51 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Heart of the Family (Eliots of Damerosehay, #3) 4.17 avg rating — 1,141 ratings — published 1953 — 57 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A City of Bells (Torminster, #1) 4.23 avg rating — 1,045 ratings — published 1936 — 42 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gentian Hill 4.16 avg rating — 952 ratings — published 1949 — 49 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Elizabeth Goudge…

Series by Elizabeth Goudge

The Eliots of Damerosehay (3 books)
by

Elizabeth Goudge

4.28 avg rating — 5,242 ratings

Torminster Saga (3 books)
by

Elizabeth Goudge

4.19 avg rating — 1,531 ratings

Du Frocq family (2 books)
by

Elizabeth Goudge

4.02 avg rating — 476 ratings

Quotes by Elizabeth Goudge (?)

“In times of storm and tempest, of indecision and desolation, a book already known and loved makes better reading than something new and untried ... nothing is so warming and companionable.”
― Elizabeth Goudge

1612 likes

“Humanity can be roughly divided into three sorts of people - those who find comfort in literature, those who find comfort in personal adornment, and those who find comfort in food;”
― Elizabeth Goudge, The Little White Horse

173 likes

“We all of us need to be toppled off the throne of self, my dear," he said. "Perched up there the tears of others are never upon our own cheek.”
― Elizabeth Goudge, The White Witch

tags: compassion, empathy, pride, selfishness

112 likes

See all Elizabeth Goudge's quotes »

Polls

Giving everyone a few extra days to vote on this poll for our December group read. Which would you like to read next month?

I Saw Three Ships Elizabeth Goudge

4 votes, 66.7%

The Sister of the Angels Elizabeth Goudge

1 vote, 16.7%

The Valley of Song Elizabeth Goudge

1 vote, 16.7%

A Christmas Book by Elizabeth Goudge Hardcover First American Edition 1967 Elizabeth Goudge

0 votes, 0.0%

6 total votes

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