author
Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull
d. 1927
Best known for lush historical romances set in Renaissance Venice and Cyprus, this American novelist also played a lively role in Baltimore’s cultural life. Writing as “Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull,” she brought pageantry, politics, and romance together in stories that still feel grand and atmospheric.
2 Audiobooks
A Golden Book of Venice
by Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull
The Royal Pawn of Venice A Romance of Cyprus
by Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull
About the author
Born Francese Hubbard Litchfield in New York in 1844, she became known in print as Mrs. Lawrence Turnbull after marrying Lawrence Turnbull in 1871. She later settled in Baltimore, where she and her family were active in the city’s artistic and literary circles.
She wrote historical fiction with a strong sense of place, especially in books such as A Golden Book of Venice and The Royal Pawn of Venice. Her novels are remembered for their romantic plots and their fascination with Renaissance history, using vivid settings and court intrigue to draw readers into the past.
Beyond her writing, she was also known as a patron of the arts. That wider cultural life helps explain the richness of her fiction: her work grew out of a world deeply interested in music, literature, and history. She died in 1927.