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…

1317 words

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 19 March 2024.]

12997 Mary Borden 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.