Pen name Mrs Robert Henrey Spouse Robert Henrey Occupation Authoress Name Madeleine Henrey | Language English, French Role Author Genre Autobiography | |
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Born Madeleine Gal
August 13, 1906
Clichy, Ile-de-France ( 1906-08-13 ) Notable works A Farm in Normandy, The Little Madeleine Died 2004, Villers-sur-Mer, France Books Madeleine - Young Wife: The, Through Grown‑up Eyes: Livi, A farm in Normandy and The r, Madeleine grown up, Her April days | ||
Madeleine Mathilde Henrey (1906–2004, née Gal, pseud. Mrs Robert Henrey) was a French-born author of over 30 books, mainly of an autobiographical nature, that enjoyed considerable fame in post-war Britain and established rural lid-off-a-small-town titles as a genre.
Life
Henrey was born Madeleine Gal, the daughter of a miner and seamstress, and moved as a child to Soho, in London, following her father's death. She met her future husband, Robert Henrey, at the Savoy Hotel; they were married in 1928 and their romance would prove to be a lifelong attachment lasting until his death in 1982. Her son Bobby Henrey was a child actor, notably in the film The Fallen Idol, the making of which was described in her book A film star in Belgrave Square.
Her writing career stretched from 1941 to 1979 and during this time she brought many of the events of her childhood and career to public attention. She enjoyed a long relationship with publishers, Dent & Sons, and most of her works, particularly her early ones, were a commercial success.