Ida Cook (24 August 190422 December 1986) was a British campaigner for Jewish refugees and, as Mary Burchell, a romance novelist. Ida Cook and her sister Louise Cook (1901–1991) rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honoured as

Righteous among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...

in Israel. In 2010 she was recognised as a British Hero of the Holocaust with her sister. Between 1936 and 1985, under the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Mary Burchell, Ida Cook wrote 112 romance novels for

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

— many of which were later republished by

Harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

. She helped to found the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body representing authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stua ...

, serving as its second president from 1966 to 1986.

Biography

Personal life

Ida Cook was born on 24 August 1904 in

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

, England. With her elder sister Louise Cook (1901–1991), she attended The Duchess's School in Alnwick and later took civil service jobs in London. Both sisters developed a passionate interest in opera. During the 1930s, as part of the work they undertook to help Jews to escape from the Nazi regime, the sisters visited Germany on multiple occasions, using their enthusiasm for opera as a cover for their frequent travel, and smuggled Jewish people's jewellery and other valuables across the German border, thereby enabling Jews fleeing Germany to satisfy British financial security requirements for immigration. They worked with Austrian conductor

Clemens Krauss Clemens Heinrich Krauss (31 March 189316 May 1954) was an Austrian conducting, conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and Richard Wagner. He founded the Vienna New Year's Concert ...

and his wife, the Romanian soprano

Viorica Ursuleac Viorica Ursuleac (26 March 1894 – 22 October 1985) was a Romanian operatic dramatic soprano. Life and career Ursuleac was born the daughter of a Greek Orthodox archdeacon, in Chernivtsi, which is now in Ukraine, on 26 March 1894. Following tr ...

, who had initially told them of the persecution of the Jews. The sisters enabled the escape of 29 Jews and others needing to flee from Nazi Germany, funded mainly by Ida's writing. The Cooks gave them an address to come to, a flat in

Dolphin Square Dolphin Square is an estate of private flats with some ground floor business units near the River Thames in Pimlico, Westminster, London built between 1935 and 1937. Until the building of Highbury Square, it was the most developed garden squar ...

in Pimlico. Among those recued were Else Mayer-Lismann and her family. In 1965 the Cook sisters were honoured as

by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel. In 2010 the British Government named each of them a British Hero of the Holocaust.

Writing career

In 1936 Ida published her first romance novels as Mary Burchell. During her career she wrote 112 romances for

, later re-edited by Harlequin Books, including the famous ''Warrender Saga'', a series about the opera and concert-hall world. She incorporated many famous operas (''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the La Scala, Teatro alla Scala, M ...

'', ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...

'' and ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'', among others) into the ''Warrender'' series plots. She wrote in the Romantic Novelists' Association's newsletter: In 1950 she published her autobiography, ''We Followed Our Stars''. In 2008 it was re-issued, re-edited and expanded as ''Safe Passage''. Cook was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1956 (its first series) when she was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...

at the BBC Television Theatre. She ghost-wrote

Tito Gobbi Tito Gobbi (24 October 19135 March 1984) was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation. He made his operatic debut in Gubbio in 1935 as Count Rodolfo in Bellini's '' La sonnambula'' and quickly appeared in Italy's major oper ...

's autobiography, ''My Life'' (1979).

Legacy

In January 2017, Sunderland Council erected a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

commemorating the sisters on the site of their childhood home at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland. The same year, producer Donald Rosenfeld discussed plans to make a film of the sisters' humanitarian work and his efforts to unseal

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

files on their activities. The film was to be based on the research by Vincent. In 2022, investigative journalist Isabel Vincent published ''Overture of Hope'' about the Cook Sisters. An episode of the documentary series '' Mysteries at the Museum'' features the sisters' activities in rescuing Jews from Nazi Germany. In 2024, the Cook sisters and their work rescuing German Jews were the focus of an episode of '' History's Secret Heroes'' on BBC Radio 4.

Bibliography

Burchell's works include:

As Mary Burchell

Single novels

*''Wife to Christopher'', 1936 *''Except my Love'', 1937 *''Nobody Asked Me'', 1937 *''But Not For Me'', 1938 *''Other Lips Have Loved You'' (later republished as ''Two Loves Have I''), 1938 *''With All My Worldly Goods'', 1938 *''Yet Love Remains'', 1938 *''After Office Hours'', 1939 *''Little Sister'', 1939 *''One of the Family'', 1939 *''Such is Love'', 1939 *''I'll Go With You'', 1940 *''Pay Me Tomorrow'', 1940 *''Yours With Love'', 1940 *''Accompanied by His Wife'', 1941 *''Always Yours'', 1941 *''Just a Nice Girl'', 1941 *''Strangers May Marry'', 1941 *''Love Made the Choice'', 1942 *''Thine Is My Heart'', 1942 *''Where Shall I Wander?'' (later republished as ''Bargain Wife''), 1942 *''Dare I Be Happy?'', 1943 *''My Old Love Came'', 1943 *''Dearly Beloved'', 1944 *''Take Me with You'', 1944 *''Thanks to Elizabeth'', 1944 *''Away Went Love'', 1945 *''Meant for Each Other'', 1945 *''Find Out the Way'', 1946 *''First Love-Last Love'', 1946 *''Wife by Arrangement'', 1946 *''Not Without You'', 1947 *''Under Joint Management'', 1947 *''Ward of Lucifer'', 1947 *''If You Care'', 1948 *''The Brave in Heart'', 1948 *''Then Come Kiss Me'', 1948 *''Choose Which You Will'', 1949 *''I Will Love You Still'', 1949 *''If This Were All'', 1949 *''Wish on the Moon'', 1949 *''A Letter for Don'', 1950 *''At First Sight'', 1950 *''Love Him or Leave Him'', 1950 *''Here I Belong'', 1951 *''Mine for a Day'', 1951 *''Tell Me My Fortune'', 1951 *''Over the Blue Mountains'', 1952 *''Stolen Heart'', 1952 *''Sweet Adventure'', 1952 *''A Ring on Her Finger'', 1953 *''No Real Relation'', 1953 *''The Heart Cannot Forget'', 1953 *''The Heart Must Choose'', 1953 *''Meet Me Again ''(later republished as ''Nurse Allison's Trust''), 1954 *''Under the Stars of Paris'', 1954 *''When Love's Beginning'', 1954 *''The Prettiest Girl'', 1955 *''Yours to Command'', 1955 *''For Ever and Ever'', 1956 *''Loving is Giving'', 1956 *''On the Air'', 1956 *''To Journey Together'', 1956 *''And Falsely Pledge My Love'', 1957 *''It's Rumoured in the Village'', 1957 *''Joanna at the Grange'', 1957 *''Love is my Reason'', 1957 *''Loyal in All'' (later republished as ''Nurse Marika, Loyal in All''), 1957 *''Dear Sir'', 1958 *''Dear Trustee'', 1958 *''Hospital Corridors'', 1958 *''The Girl in the Blue Dress'', 1958 *''Honey'', 1959 *''Star Quality ''(later republished as ''Surgeon of Distinction''), 1959 *''Across the Counter'', 1960 *''Choose the One You'll Marry'', 1960 *''Corner House'', 1960 *''Paris—and My Love'', 1960 *''My Sister Celia'', 1961 *''Reluctant Relation'', 1961 *''The Wedding Dress'', 1961 *''House of Conflict'', 1962 *''Inherit My Heart'', 1962 *''Dangerous Loving'', 1963 *''Sweet Meadows'', 1963 *''Do Not Go, My Love'', 1964/01 *''The Strange Quest of Anne Weston'' (later republished as ''The Strange Quest of Nurse Anne''), 1964 *''Girl With a Challenge'', 1965 *''Her Sister's Children'', 1965 *''The Other Linding Girl'', 1966 *''Cinderella After Midnight'', 1967 *''The Marshall Family'', 1967 *''Though Worlds Apart'', 1967 *''Missing from Home'', 1968 *''A Home for Joy'', 1969 *''The Rosewood Box'', 1970 *''Call and I'll Come'', 1970 *''Second Marriage'', 1971 *''One Man's Heart'', 1971

The Warrender Saga

#''A Song Begins'', 1965 (''

'') #''The Broken Wing'' (later republished as ''Damaged Angel''), 1966 (excerpts ''

Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...

'', ''

Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Sémiramis (tragedy), Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first ...

'',''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

'') #''When Love is Blind'', 1967 (Beethoven's 3rd Concerto) #''The Curtain Rises'', 1969 (''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

'') #''Child of Music'', 1971 #''Music of the Heart'', 1972 #''Unbidden Melody'', 1973 (''

'') #''Song Cycle'', 1974 #''Remembered Serenade'', 1975 ('' L'amore dei tre re'') #''Elusive Harmony'', 1976 (''

'', ''Otello'', ''

André Chénier André Marie Chénier (; 30 October 176225 July 1794) was a French poet associated with the events of the French Revolution, during which he was sentenced to death. His sensual, emotive poetry marks him as one of the precursors of the Romantic ...

'') #''Nightingales'', 1980 ( Mendelssohn's ''Elijah'') #''Masquerade with Music'', 1982 (''

I Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

'') #''On Wings of Song'', 1985 ('' Alceste'', ''

Suor Angelica ''Suor Angelica'' (''Sister Angelica'') is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as ''Il trittico'' (''The Triptych''). It received its wor ...

'')

Omnibus collections

*''3 Great Novels: Take Me With You; Choose Which You Will; Meant for Each Other'' (1975) *''3 Great Novels: The Heart Cannot Forget; Ward of Lucifer; A Home for Joy'' *''3 Great Novels: The Other Linding Girl; Girl with a Challenge; My Sister Celia'' *''It's Rumored in the Village / Except My Love / Strangers May Marry'' (1983)

Anthologies in collaboration

*Golden Harlequin Library Vol. VIII: ''Choose The One You'll Marry / Sweet Barbary / Senior Surgeon at St. David's'' (1970) (with

Pamela Kent Ida Julia Pollock ( Crowe; 12 April 1908 – 3 December 2013) was a British writer of several short-stories and over 125 romance novels that were published under her married name, Ida Pollock, and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. ...

and

Elizabeth Gilzean Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

) *Golden Harlequin Library XLI: ''Over The Blue Mountains; Summer Lightning; Lucy Lamb; Doctor's Wife ''(1973) (with Sara Seale and Jill Tahourdin) *''Tell Me My Fortune / A Scent Of Lemons / Country Of The Wine'' (1979) (with

Jill Christian Noreen Ford Dilcock (born 28 March 1907 in Kingston upon Hull, England - d. 1985 in Walsall, England, United Kingdom) was a British writer of romance novels from 1952 to 1977 under different pseudonyms: Norrey Ford, Jill Christian and Christian ...

and Mary Wibberley) *Harlequin Classic Library (1980) (with

Elizabeth Hoy Alice Nina Hoysradt, née Conarain (2 February 1898 — 7 November 1982) was an Irish writer of over 70 romance novels as her maiden name Nina Conarain and under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Hoy from 1933 to 1980. Biography Alice Nina Conarain wa ...

, Alex Stuart,

Susan Barrie Ida Julia Pollock ( Crowe; 12 April 1908 – 3 December 2013) was a British writer of several short-stories and over 125 romance novels that were published under her married name, Ida Pollock, and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. ...

, Juliet Shore, Jean S. MacLeod,

Elizabeth Houghton Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

and Jill Tahourdin) *''Just a Nice Girl / Pride of Madeira / Valley of Paradise'' (1983) (with

Elizabeth Hunter Elizabeth Ann "Beth" Hunter (also Walters and Sutherland) is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera ''Home and Away'', played by Clarissa House. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 April 2003 and departed o ...

and Margaret Rome) *''The Hills of Maketu / Under the Stars of Paris / Every Wise Man ''(1986) (with

Gloria Bevan Gloria Isabel Bevan (20 July 1911 - 1998.) was an Australian-born New Zealand writer of romantic fiction. Early life Bevan was born on 20 July 1911 in Kalgoorlie, Australia, where her father was a mining engineer. When she was three years old, ...

and Jacqueline Gilbert)

As Ida Cook

Non-fiction

*'' We Followed Our Stars'' (1950), re-released as ''Safe Passage'' (2008) and later ''The Bravest Voices'' (2021) (autobiography)

References and sources

External links

Extensive biographical article
in ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Burchell, Mary 1904 births 1986 deaths English romantic fiction writers Writers from Sunderland 20th-century English novelists British Righteous Among the Nations Pseudonymous women writers 20th-century English women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers British Heroes of the Holocaust