Kaye, M. M. (1908–2004)
Kaye, M. M. (1908–2004)
English novelist and painter. Name variations: Mollie Kaye; Mollie Hamilton. Born Mary Margaret Kaye, Aug 21, 1908, in Simla, India; died Jan 29, 2004, in Suffolk, England; dau. of a British parents; her father Sir Cecil Kaye was an Indian civil service linguist and cipher agent and titular head of the Indian state of Rajputana; m. Major-General G. J. "Goff " Hamilton (British officer), 1942 (died 1985); children: 2 daughters, Carolyn and Nicky.
Sent back to Britain for schooling at age 10; returned to India (1926–35); moved with husband to various postings; began writing career with detective stories, Death Walks in Kashmir (1953), Berlin (1955), and Cyprus (1956), among others; spent about 16 years writing The Far Pavilions, about her upbringing in the India of the British Raj, which became a bestseller (1978) and was adapted into a 6-hour miniseries (1984); other books included Shadow of the Moon (1956) and Trade Wind (1963); also wrote stories for younger readers, including the "Potter Pinner" series (1937–41).
See also autobiographies, The Sun in the Morning (1990), Golden Afternoon (1997), and Enchanted Evening (1999).