The Story of Julia Page

The Story of Julia Page is a novel by Kathleen Thompson Norris, a prolific American author known for her works that often explore themes of family, love, and social issues. Published in 1915, this novel is one of Norris's early successes and reflects her keen observation of human nature and societal expectations, particularly regarding women.

The novel follows the life of Julia Page, a young woman navigating the challenges of early 20th-century America. Julia grows up in a modest, middle-class environment, shaped by her mother's struggles and societal pressures. As she matures, she faces dilemmas involving love, marriage, and personal fulfillment.

Julia's journey involves romantic entanglements, including a relationship with a wealthy man who represents security and social status, and another with a man she truly loves but who may not offer the same material comforts. The story explores her internal conflict between societal expectations (marrying for stability) and her own desires (marrying for love).

Kathleen Norris was a bestselling author in her time, and The Story of Julia Page was well-received for its emotional depth and realistic portrayal of a woman's struggles. The Story of Julia Page remains an interesting example of early feminist literature and domestic fiction from the pre-World War I era.

About the Author

Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 - January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. Norris was a prolific writer who wrote 93 novels, many of which became best sellers. Her stories appeared frequently in the popular press of the day, including Atlantic, The American Magazine, McClure's, Everybody's, Ladies' Home Journal and Woman's Home Companion. Norris used her fiction to promote family and moralistic values, such as the sanctity of marriage, the nobility of motherhood, and the importance of service to others.

Kathleen Thompson Norris was born in San Francisco, California on 16 July 1880. Her parents were Josephine (n嶪 Moroney) and James Alden Thompson. When she was 19 both her parents died. As the oldest sibling she became effectively the head of a large family and had to work. Initially, she found employment in a department store, which was soon followed by work in an accounting office and then the Mechanic's Institute Library. In 1905, she enrolled in a creative writing program at the University of California, Berkeley and began writing short stories. The San Francisco Call, which had published a few of her stories, hired her to write a society column in September 1906. In the course of that work she met Charles Gilman Norris (whose late older brother was the famous novelist Frank Norris), and they soon fell in love. He moved to New York to be art editor of The American Magazine. After eight months of daily correspondence and some improvements in her family's financial situation, she joined him there and they were married in April 1909.

Norris became involved in various social causes, including women's suffrage, Prohibition, pacifism, and organizations to benefit children and the poor.

Kathleen Thompson Norris died January 18, 1966 in San Francisco at the home of her son Dr. Frank Norris. She was 85. (wikipedia.org)