Barbara Taylor Bradford Books

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Barbara Taylor Bradford is a British novelist that was born in 1933 in Leeds, Yorkshire. Her father (Winston Taylor) was an engineer. World War I took his leg. Her mother, Freda, gave birth to a son but meningitis claimed his life.

Barbara believes that she received the frustrated love that Freda couldn’t give to her first child. Freda was no ordinary woman. Barbara learned later on that Freda’s mother had worked as a servant for Frederick Robinson, the second Marquess of Ripon.

Her affair with the aristocrat had produced three illegitimate children of which Freda was one. Freda played an important role in her daughter’s decision to pursue publishing. She made sure that Barbara could read by the time she turned four.

It was also because of Freda that Barbara Taylor Bradford was introduced to authors like Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy. Barbara is just as grateful to Cornelius Ryan. Other than her mother, the Irish historian was the first person to encourage the author to pursue her literary goals.

It was hardly a surprise when Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of ten. She sent it to a magazine. She used the money the magazine paid her when they bought the story to buy her parents a vase and handkerchiefs.

By 15, Barbara was out of school. She joined the Yorkshire Evening Post, initially spending her days in the secretary pool. Over time, she proved her worth and became a newspaper reporter. By the time she was 20, events had taken the author to London.

She joined Woman’s Own, filling the position of fashion editor at the magazine. In the years that followed, she became a columnist. Her articles on interior decoration appeared in nearly 200 newspapers.

Even though she found success as a journalist, her efforts to break into the publishing arena were not as fruitful. She wrote four suspense novels but she wasn’t pleased with any of them. As the years passed, the notion of reaching her fifties before writing her first novel scared Barbara.

She was afraid of becoming one of those bitter authors she had heard about. As such, rather than giving up, she decided to write another novel. But she wasn’t sure what it would be about. She knew that she hadn’t liked her previous novels.

She needed a concept that would inspire her to write the next manuscript to completion. After a bit of thought, she concluded that she would write a story set in Yorkshire. She also decided that the story would follow a woman that would struggle to succeed in a field dominated by men. This lead to ‘A Woman of Substance’, one of her most successful novels.

Barbara has attributed some of her achievements to her experience as a journalist. The years she spent as a reporter taught her discipline.

Barbara Taylor Bradford Awards

Barbara’s collection of accolades includes the Lifetime Platinum Bestseller Award, the Leeds Award, and the Spirit of Life Award.

Barbara Taylor Bradford Books into Movies

The author wrote several novels that received movie adaptations, including ‘A Secret Affair’, ‘Love in Another Town’, ‘Her Own Rules’, and ‘Everything to Gain’.

Some stories became miniseries, including ‘Act of Will’, ‘Voice of the Heart’, ‘Remember’, ‘To be the Best’, and ‘A Woman of Substance’.

Best Barbara Taylor Bradford Books

Barbara was married to Robert Bradford, an American film producer. Before he died in 2019, he encouraged her to keep writing despite the tragedy of his passing. Some of Barbara’s best books include:

A Woman of Substance: Emma Harte is a woman of substance. She was just a poor servant girl struggling to survive in her Yorkshire Village. This novel shows the events that sharpened her mind and strengthened her resolve, allowing her to rise from poverty to build an international enterprise.

Hold the Dream: Emma Hart’s rise to the top wasn’t easy. She made many sacrifices. But it all paid off. She turned her business into an international empire. However, her journey is far from over. If she wants to succeed in the next stage of her endeavors, she must hand control of the business over to Paula, her granddaughter.

Paula has her own dreams. But she is also determined to make the best of the opportunity that Emma has placed in her hands.

When Does The Next Barbara Taylor Bradford book come out?

Barbara Taylor Bradford doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Wonder of It All and was released on December, 5th 2023. It is the newest book in the House of Falconer Series.

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