DANIELS, Dorothy

Born 1 July 1907, Waterbury, Connecticut

Also writes under: Angela Gray, Danielle Dorsett, CynthiaKavanaugh, Helaine Ross, Suzanne Somers, Geraldine Thayer

Daughter of Judson R. and Mary Guilfoile Smith; married Norman Daniels (died)

Dorothy Daniels' writing career commenced shortly after her marriage to Norman Daniels, a prolific detective and spy-story author. She began by writing romantic short stories and doctor/nurse novels, but when their healthy sales figures declined, Daniels' publisher suggested she turn to the gothic romance. Daniels is best known for her work in this genre.

Her first gothic novel, Shadow Glen, was published in 1965. From that year through 1975, Daniels had sales figures of over 10 million copies, with more than 150 titles in print. Daniels' originally helped her late husband with his writing by editing and typing his manuscripts. He later aided her in getting her own career started, and has been widely and wrongly credited with writing much of her work. Daniels achieves originality in a narrowly defined genre by paying close attention to detail and vividly recreating an era into which the reader can escape.

The depiction of women in Daniels' gothics is very traditional. Home and marriage are often the end result of the storyline. Generally written in the first person, the plots are predictable—the reader is aware that the heroine will ultimately survive and be far better off by the conclusion of the final chapter. It is this very predictability, however, that seems to draw readers. Gothic devotees are searching for variations on established themes, and Daniels achieves this variation through careful and precise characterization.

Her novels uphold the traditions and attitudes of a solid middle-class experience where age and sex role expectations are clearly defined. The characters in the gothics pose no threat to the beliefs of the readers; Daniels receives popular acceptance because she treats the values of ordinary people with respect. Her insistence on happy endings reinforces the concept that good, by its very nature, must ultimately triumph over evil. For a reading audience experiencing many challenges to traditional modes of behavior in the 1970s, the gothic novel was a comforting assurance that certain standards never change. And despite rampant changes in society and mores in the 1980s and 1990s, Daniels is still a favorite among readers of gothic novels, or as they are frequently labeled, escapist literature. The immense response to her writing, however, stands as testimony to her ability to know and fulfill the desires of her reading audience. Rather than debate the merits or shortcomings of escapist literature, it is more important to study Daniels for her insight into the American psyche.

Other Works:

Selected: The Caduceus Tree (1961). The Dark Rider (1961). Leland Legacy (1965). Cliffside Castle (1965). The Templeton Memoirs (1966). Mystic Manor (1966). Lily Lily Pond (1966). Midday Moon (1967). House of Stolen Memories (1967). House of the Seven Courts (1967). Candle in the Sun (1968). TheSpanish Chapel (1969). Voice on the Wind (1970). The Attic Rope (1970). The Tormented (1970). Journey into Terror (1970). Willow Weep (1971). House of Many Doors (1971). Diablo Manor (1971). House on Circus Hill (1972). Dark Island (1972). The Dark Stage (1972). The Stone House (1973). The Larrabee Heiress (1973). Apollo Fountain (1974). Ghost Song (1974). The Unlamented (1975). Illusion at Haven's Edge (1975). The Possessed (1975). Whistle in the Wind (1976). Vineyard Chapel (1976). Woman in Silk and Shadows (1977). Juniper Hill (1977). In the Shadows (1978). The Lonely Place (1978). Perrine (1978). Cormac Legend (1979). Yesterday's Evil (1979). Legend of Death (1980). Bridal Black (1980). House of Silence (1980). Nicola (1980). The Purple and the Gold (1980). Monte Carlo (1981). The Sisters of Valcour (1981). Saratoga (1981). For Love of Valcour (1983). Crisis at Valcour (1985).

Bibliography:

Dorothy Daniels Memorial Children's Book Collection: Selected Catalogue (Riverside Public Library [CA], 1981). Twentieth Century Romance & Historical Writers.

—KAREN M. STODDARD