MARIE WARDER —1927-2014--Hemochromatosis Awareness Activist and Author
MARIE WARDER
Before immigrating to Canada, Marie Warder was listed among South Africa's top seven 'favourite novelists' by a South African Book Club. She was certainly one of the most prolific. Mary Morrison Webster, book critic of the prestigious Sunday Times, once recorded among her recommendations, two books written 'in time for Christmas—in two different languages.' Mrs. Warder's biography is included in the Archives of the National Council of Women among 'Notable Women of Johannesburg.'
Locally, where she lived in British Columbia, she was familiar for many years as a chaplain at the Delta Hospital while, to most people in the rest of the world, she is known chiefly as the Founder and President Emeritus of both the Canadian and South African Hemochromatosis Societies, and the Founder and former President of the International Association of Haemochromatosis Societies. Few know that, before embarking on her two ground-breaking books on Hemochromatosis—made available, together, in 2000, in the 'new edition' of The Bronze Killer, the 'internationally acclaimed best-seller' (Delta Optimist), which contributed to her being awarded a medal of honour and certificate of honour in Canada—she was already the author of 13 very successful novels; three of them used in South African schools. Not surprisingly, many of her stories take place in and around newspaper offices for, according to 'The Journalist', she became, at the age of seventeen, the youngest chief reporter in the world, having sold her first newspaper article at the age of 11 and her first short story at 17. During her career as a journalist she interviewed some the world's most famous people.
Locally, where she lived in British Columbia, she was familiar for many years as a chaplain at the Delta Hospital while, to most people in the rest of the world, she is known chiefly as the Founder and President Emeritus of both the Canadian and South African Hemochromatosis Societies, and the Founder and former President of the International Association of Haemochromatosis Societies. Few know that, before embarking on her two ground-breaking books on Hemochromatosis—made available, together, in 2000, in the 'new edition' of The Bronze Killer, the 'internationally acclaimed best-seller' (Delta Optimist), which contributed to her being awarded a medal of honour and certificate of honour in Canada—she was already the author of 13 very successful novels; three of them used in South African schools. Not surprisingly, many of her stories take place in and around newspaper offices for, according to 'The Journalist', she became, at the age of seventeen, the youngest chief reporter in the world, having sold her first newspaper article at the age of 11 and her first short story at 17. During her career as a journalist she interviewed some the world's most famous people.
TOM WARDER
All in all, it seemed that she had a good career ahead of her in her native South Africa, but when—just before her 17th birthday—Frederick Abinger (Tom) Warder, a handsome, tanned young man in an Air Force uniform walked into the newspaper office one day, her life changed radically. It was a clear case of 'love at first sight' and, after that meeting, her life would revolve about him. She played the piano in Tom's very popular dance band; he was wholeheartedly supportive of her writing. And whenever there was a sword fight to be fought in a novel, or a chess game to be played, it would be her husband who worked out the moves for her.
When he was 42, he suddenly became ill and, as she tells in the book, The Bronze Killer, they had come to the end of the good times. For more than 28 years after that, except for a series of travel articles for a magazine she devoted her literary efforts entirely to the writing of more than 200 articles on the subject of Hemochromatosis, and to the production of patient literature for individuals, hospitals and other medical facilities. Her newsletters and brochures have gone out to more than 16 countries. Now she believes that she has done all in her power to promote awareness of the world's most common genetic disorder. Late in 2003, motivated by the discovery of the tattered scraps of the only carbon copy of the long-lost manuscript of a book, she decided that she was ready to move on. Storm Water and With no Remorse.... were released simultaneously less than a year later.
When you know that you know that you know! or The redemption of Benjamin Ashton (April 2005) caused a sensation. The response has been phenomenal. One reader describes it as 'The best novel I have ever read!' Another reports that she read it 'four times in less than a month', and wished that it were 'twice as long!' This about a book that contains 576 pages! The setting of that book is a citrus farm called 'Beauclaire', situated in the district of Nelspruit in South Africa, and, responding to the clamour for more about Benjamin (Ash) Ashton and his friends, 'Dominic Verwey: Samaritan of the Sahara'—although of a different genre—continued the 'Beauclaire saga' in 2006.
About this book one reviewer wrote, 'After the success of her South African novel, Tarnished Idols, Marie Warder has gone to the other end of Africa for the setting of her new one, Samaritan of the Sahara. Mrs. Warder's romantic imagination and facile pen provide plenty of local colour, and she captures the reader's attention from start to finish. The very unusual theme concerns the adventures of a doctor in the Sahara who, besides being skilled with the scalpel, is also a dashing figure of the Robin Hood type. Well worth reading and highly recommended.'
'The Yardstick' is this author's 21st book, volume three of the gripping Beauclaire Saga, and her seventh book to be written in Canada. Although so much of the story is played out among the dunes of the Kalahari Desert of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, we are also taken back to Nelspruit and Johannesburg, and recognize some of the well-loved characters from When you know that you know that you know, as the Beauclaire saga continues. We find a disillusioned Benjamin Ashton—about to become a grandfather, forced to consider relocating the South African members of his family, which could well bring to an end what has been for them a blessedly happy era in the enthralling Beauclaire saga. At the same time, the integrity of Ben's altruistic son, a physician, is severely tested as Jordan is unwillingly drawn into the sordid affairs of Tristan Connaught, the womanizing partner in their upscale practice near Johannesburg.
Unfortunately Tristan is none other than the son of Father Clifford Connaught of Bethlehem in the Free State, who played such a important role in the lives of both Ben Ashton and his brother, Jamie; and, together with them, we are re-introduced to many of the other well-loved characters from 'When you know that you know that you know! or The redemption of Benjamin Ashton'.
When he was 42, he suddenly became ill and, as she tells in the book, The Bronze Killer, they had come to the end of the good times. For more than 28 years after that, except for a series of travel articles for a magazine she devoted her literary efforts entirely to the writing of more than 200 articles on the subject of Hemochromatosis, and to the production of patient literature for individuals, hospitals and other medical facilities. Her newsletters and brochures have gone out to more than 16 countries. Now she believes that she has done all in her power to promote awareness of the world's most common genetic disorder. Late in 2003, motivated by the discovery of the tattered scraps of the only carbon copy of the long-lost manuscript of a book, she decided that she was ready to move on. Storm Water and With no Remorse.... were released simultaneously less than a year later.
When you know that you know that you know! or The redemption of Benjamin Ashton (April 2005) caused a sensation. The response has been phenomenal. One reader describes it as 'The best novel I have ever read!' Another reports that she read it 'four times in less than a month', and wished that it were 'twice as long!' This about a book that contains 576 pages! The setting of that book is a citrus farm called 'Beauclaire', situated in the district of Nelspruit in South Africa, and, responding to the clamour for more about Benjamin (Ash) Ashton and his friends, 'Dominic Verwey: Samaritan of the Sahara'—although of a different genre—continued the 'Beauclaire saga' in 2006.
About this book one reviewer wrote, 'After the success of her South African novel, Tarnished Idols, Marie Warder has gone to the other end of Africa for the setting of her new one, Samaritan of the Sahara. Mrs. Warder's romantic imagination and facile pen provide plenty of local colour, and she captures the reader's attention from start to finish. The very unusual theme concerns the adventures of a doctor in the Sahara who, besides being skilled with the scalpel, is also a dashing figure of the Robin Hood type. Well worth reading and highly recommended.'
'The Yardstick' is this author's 21st book, volume three of the gripping Beauclaire Saga, and her seventh book to be written in Canada. Although so much of the story is played out among the dunes of the Kalahari Desert of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, we are also taken back to Nelspruit and Johannesburg, and recognize some of the well-loved characters from When you know that you know that you know, as the Beauclaire saga continues. We find a disillusioned Benjamin Ashton—about to become a grandfather, forced to consider relocating the South African members of his family, which could well bring to an end what has been for them a blessedly happy era in the enthralling Beauclaire saga. At the same time, the integrity of Ben's altruistic son, a physician, is severely tested as Jordan is unwillingly drawn into the sordid affairs of Tristan Connaught, the womanizing partner in their upscale practice near Johannesburg.
Unfortunately Tristan is none other than the son of Father Clifford Connaught of Bethlehem in the Free State, who played such a important role in the lives of both Ben Ashton and his brother, Jamie; and, together with them, we are re-introduced to many of the other well-loved characters from 'When you know that you know that you know! or The redemption of Benjamin Ashton'.