Yes, Virginia; in answer to your query, there was another Winston Churchill. In fact, this one was an American and a very successful novelist. He was born November 10, 1871 in St. Louis and eventually graduated from the United States Naval Academy. Having family wealth enough to try his hand at writing, he resigned and in 1898 produced his first novel, The Celebrity. His second novel, Richard Carvel, was published the next year and was an immediate sensation, literally selling by the box-car. It sold two million copies in a nation of only seventy-six million and made Churchill quite rich.
In time, Churchill would serve a couple of terms in the New Hampshire legislature. He abruptly stopped writing after 1919 and was forgotten by the public. Unexpectedly, in 1940 Churchill published The Uncharted Way, a reflection of his thoughts on religion. However, he did not seek to publicize the book and it received little attention. Churchill died in Winter Park, Florida on March 12, 1947.
Having a keen interest in reading the popular books of America's past, I have just undertaken the reading of Richard Carvel. I hope to have it finished in a few days but preparations for my teaching in Belarus and the ongoing work in our new home here may make that a bit tough to do. We'll see. I'll jot down a few thoughts for you and others to read here on The Book Den when I'm finished. Later...
Denny
