Woman in Black (65 page)

Goudge moved her family from California to New York City, where she spent several years writing young-adult fiction, creating series such as
Seniors
,
Swept Away
, and
Who Killed Peggy Sue?
In 1986 she published her first novel of adult fiction,
Garden of Lies
, inspired by a childhood anxiety that, because she did not resemble her brothers and sisters, she had been secretly adopted—a suspicion so strong that, at twelve, Goudge broke into her father's lockbox expecting to find adoption papers. (She did not.) The tale of children swapped at birth was a national sensation, spent sixteen weeks on the
New York Times
bestseller list, and eventually yielded a sequel,
Thorns of Truth
(1998), which Goudge wrote in response to a decade of fan mail demanding she resolve the story.

Since then, Goudge has continued writing women's fiction, producing a total of thirteen novels to date. Her most popular works include the three-book saga of Carson Springs—
Stranger in Paradise
(2001),
Taste of Honey
(2002), and
Wish Come True
(2003)—a small, secret-ridden town that Goudge based on scenic Ojai, California. She has also published a cookbook,
Something Warm from the Oven
, which contains recipes that Goudge developed as a reprieve from the stresses of writing novels.

Goudge met her current husband while conducting an interview over the telephone. Entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon was so taken with the author that he asked if he could call her back when the interview was done, and after weeks of late-night conversations they met in person and were married in 1996.

Goudge lives with Kenyon in New York City.

Goudge at age two, sitting on her father's shoulders at the San Francisco Zoo. Goudge's father was a talented painter. In the 1940s he painted caricatures at county fairs though once his family grew he focused on his insurance agency and self-taught skill at architecture.

Goudge, age three, and her sister, Laura, in a playhouse built by their father. In addition to being a painter and insurance agent, Goudge's father also designed and built houses.

Goudge at seven years old, before her First Communion. The photograph was taken in the backyard of her parent's first house in San Mateo, California. One of six children, Goudge loved being singled out from her brothers and sisters.

Goudge, second from right, smiling with her three sisters in matching dresses. Goudge's mother used to make clothes for her children. By the time Goudge entered high school, she had picked up sewing from her mother and begun to make all of her own clothes.

Goudge with her younger sister, Patty, at a book signing for
Garden of Lies
in 1986. For Goudge, one of the most exciting aspects of the book's release was being able to share with her friends and family a project she'd been working on for so long.

Goudge dancing with her son Michael on her and Sandy Kenyon's wedding day in 1996. The ceremony was held at a garden restaurant in New York City and the newlyweds honeymooned in Quebec City.

Goudge with Barbara Walters on
The View
in 1999. Goudge said of Walters, “It's no wonder why she's famous. Barbara instantly puts you at ease. She also has the best lighting—there was an apricot glow that is so calming and flattering.”

Goudge with her husband, Sandy Kenyon, near his homestead in Vermont. Goudge's own real-life romance reads like those in her novels: After three failed marriages, she met Kenyon while being interviewed for the radio. When the interview ended, they continued the conversation, talking up to three hours each night, and married soon after.

Goudge with her mother looking at old family photographs at her mother's beach house in Santa Cruz, California.

Goudge in her condo in midtown Manhattan in 2010. Sandy Kenyon, her husband, took the photograph. On Saturdays, Eileen's favorite activity is to walk around the city with Sandy, exploring new neighborhoods.

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