Louise Jordan Miln
Born: 5 March 1864, Macomb, Illinois, United States
Died: 22 September 1933
Miln was born in Macomb, Illinois to Dr. T. M. Jordan, a local physician and Annie Wells. At age 5 the family moved to Chicago where her father became wealthy as a banker
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Born: 5 March 1864, Macomb, Illinois, United States
Died: 22 September 1933
Miln was born in Macomb, Illinois to Dr. T. M. Jordan, a local physician and Annie Wells. At age 5 the family moved to Chicago where her father became wealthy as a banker. She attended Vassar College but was forced to withdraw due to ill-health. At age 18, she began to act in plays in a travelling theatrical company which was run by her future husband, George Crichton Miln. She married him in 1888 and together they travelled to Australia. Her husband struggled to work as an actor and their life for a few years was lived in poverty. He eventually left for work in New Zealand leaving her behind in Sydney to take care of their three young children.[1]
After her father died, Miln came in to some income from his estate which allowed them to travel around Asia where they also performed in plays. Her travels inspired her to start writing which she did with two travel memoirs, When We Were Strolling Players In The East, (1894) and Quaint Korea, (1895).[1]
In 1896, they moved to London, England where they bought a monthly periodical called The British Realm, which George edited. Louise contributed many articles and continued writing. George died in 1917 and Miln continued her writing career. In 1920, she published a book entitled Mr. Wu, a romance between an American woman and a Chinese mandarin. The book was very popular and it was eventually made into a film starring Lon Chaney. This led to 15 more novels, mainly romances set in China which sold well at the time.[1]
One of her books, The Green Goddess, is based on a play by William Archer about a shangri-la type place in South America where immortality is on offer.[2]
She purchased a house in Trepied, France, just across the channel where she died in 1933.[1]
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