Joanna Trollope, author of more than 30 novels "whose portrayals of British domestic life made her one of the nation's most widely read authors," died on December 11 at age 82, the Guardian reported. "Her early works, written under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey, were historical romances, but from the mid-1980s onward, she turned to contemporary fiction, a shift that would define her reputation."
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The Guardian observed that Trollope's breakthrough came with novels "including The Rector's Wife, which in 1991 knocked leading authors off the top of the charts, and later works including A Village Affair and Mum & Dad, which tackled issues ranging from infidelity, remarriage, parenthood and adoption to the strains on the so-called 'sandwich generation' caring for both their children and their parents...
"Throughout the 1990s and '00s, she produced a succession of bestsellers, including A Village Affair, Next of Kin, Other People's Children and Marrying the Mistress. Many were adapted for television, bringing her stories to an even wider audience. Explaining her success, she said in a 1993 interview: 'I think my books are just the dear old traditional novel making a quiet comeback.' "
A fifth-generation niece of author Anthony Trollope, she was honored with an OBE in 1996 and later a CBE for services to literature.
Some criticized her for writing "Aga Sagas," middle-brow romances set in the English countryside, but Trollope disputed the "patronising" categorization, saying, "Actually, the novels are quite subversive, quite bleak." The Guardian added, "Rather than fairytale versions of domestic life, her books were praised by critics for their honest reflections of ordinary people's dilemmas, addressing themes of broken families, difficult relationships, love and betrayal."
Trollope's literary agent, James Gill, said, "It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Joanna Trollope, one of our most cherished, acclaimed and widely enjoyed novelists. Joanna will be mourned by her children, grandchildren, family, her countless friends and--of course--her readers."
Quoted by the Bookseller, Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan, which published her since 2017, called Trollope "a treasured author" who was "much admired for her astute judgement, sharp wit, fun company and steely determination, and appreciated for the kindness she showed to those who worked closely with her. Joanna and I got to know each other before I joined Pan Macmillan as she was a trustee of the National Literacy Trust when I joined their board.
"She was an inspiration in the way she supported the work of the charity and helped with fundraising, always making time and speaking with passion about the importance of books and reading. Her own novels were captivating and thought provoking and it was a privilege to be her publisher."
Jeremy Trevathan, Trollope's publisher at Pan Macmillan, said: "Joanna was such a witty, wise and empathetic author who wrote with a really unerring insight into the complexities and anxieties of contemporary family life, but she was also just lots of fun to be with. It was such a privilege for us that she came to us for her later fiction. The only consolation is that she leaves us all a wonderful legacy of compelling, insightful social commentary, portraying family dynamics with warmth, intelligence and a keen eye for human foibles."