author
Amélie Rives
1863–1945
Known in her day for literary sensation and society intrigue, this Virginia-born writer moved easily between novels, poetry, and drama. Her breakthrough book, The Quick or the Dead?, became a major late-19th-century bestseller and made her one of the era’s most talked-about authors.
3 Audiobooks
Shadows of Flames: A Novel
by Amélie Rives
A brother to dragons, and other old-time tales
by Amélie Rives
Virginia of Virginia: A Story
by Amélie Rives
About the author
Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1863, she grew up at Castle Hill in Albemarle County and began writing early. She went on to become an American author of novels, poetry, and plays, building a public reputation that was as vivid as her fiction.
Her first novel, The Quick or the Dead? (1888), brought her wide attention and reportedly sold in huge numbers. Later works included World's End, and her career reflected both popular success and a flair for dramatic, emotional storytelling.
She was also known in public life as Amélie Rives Chanler and later Princess Troubetzkoy after her marriages. She died in Virginia in 1945, remembered as a celebrity author whose life and work captured the imagination of her time.