Mary Borden (1886-1968) was a significant and successful literary figure of the mid-twentieth century, now mostly remembered for her poignant account of her service as a nurse at the front in the First World War. Born in Chicago, she was educated at home by governesses and later at Vassar College, and while growing up she was torn between a desire to be a missionary and an ambition to be a writer. Her father, William Borden, who made a fortune in mining, died when Mary (known as May) was eighteen, leaving her an inheritance of over £10,000 a year. While travelling in India with family friends, she met a young British missionary, George Douglas Turner, whom she married in 1908. The couple had three children, Joyce, Comfort and Mary (“Emmy”). In the years before World War One, she…
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Citation: Hutchison, Hazel McNair. "Mary Borden". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 June 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12997, accessed 24 November 2024.]
