JULIA

KAVANAGH (1824-1877)  , British novelist, was born at Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland, in 1824 . She was the daughter of Morgan Peter Kavanagh (d . 1874), author of various worthless philological works and some poems . Julia spent several years of her early life with her parents in Normandy, laying there the foundation of a mastery of the French language and insight into French modes of thought, which was perfected by her later frequent and long residences in France . Miss Kavanagh's literary career began with her arrival in London about 1844, and her uneventful life affords few incidents to the biographer . Her first book was Three Paths (1847), a story for the young; but her first work to attract notice was Madeleine, a Tale of Auvergne (1848) . Other books followed: A Summer and Winter in the Two Sicilies (1858); French Women of Letters (2862); English Women of Letters (1862); Woman in France during the 18th Century (1850); and Women of Christianity (1852), The scenesof her stories are almost always laid in France, and she handles her French themes with fidelity and skill . Her style is simple and pleasing rather than striking; and her characters are interesting without being strongly individualized . Her most popular novels were perhaps Adele (1857), Queen Mab (1863), and John Dorrien (1875) . On the outbreak of the Franco-German War Julia Kavanagh removed with her mother from Paris to Rouen . She died at Nice on the 28th of October 1877 .