Godden, Rumer (Margaret Rumer Godden) (gŏd`ən), 1907–98, English novelist. Godden was highly praised for the subtlety of her characterization (particularly of children), the charm of her style, and her unflinching focus on characters usually considered marginal. Many of her novels reflect her deep knowledge of India, where she spent her childhood and much of her young adulthood. Her some 70 novels include Black Narcissus (1939), Breakfast with the Nikolides (1942), The River (1946), Greengage Summer (1958), The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1963), In This House of Brede (1969), about life in a Roman Catholic convent in England, The Dark Horse (1981), and Coromandel Sea Change (1991); several were made into successful movies. Other writings include short stories, children's books, and the autobiographies A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep (1987) and A House with Four Rooms (1989). Her sister

Jon Godden, 1908–84, wrote two novels—In The Sun (1965) and Mrs. Starr Lives Alone (1971)—and collaborated with her sister on Two Under the Indian Sun (1966), about their childhood, and Shiva's Pigeons (1971), a study of India.

Godden, Rumer

in full Margaret Rumer Godden Haynes-Dixon

(born Dec. 10, 1907, Eastbourne, Sussex, Eng.—died Nov. 8, 1998, Dumfries, Scot.) British writer. She grew up in India, and after attending school in Britain she returned to spend many years there. Her novel Black Narcissus (1939; film, 1947) brought her popular success. The story of a group of English nuns in the Himalayas, it deals with her recurring themes of cultural conflicts and obsessive love. She often wrote about children, as in The River (1946; filmed by Jean Renoir in 1951) and The Greengage Summer (1958; film, 1961), and wrote almost two dozen books for children.