Born on December 24, 1927, Mary Higgins Clark is a famous Irish American author of suspense novels. Her books have been worldwide bestsellers and to date, all of her novels are still in print. In the United States alone, her books have sold over one hundred million copies. Higgins Clark has written 53 books, including her 2010 novel The Shadow of Your Smile.
Higgins Clark is a believer of ESP powers and telepathy as depicted in many of her novels. Notably, her iconic status in the world of suspense/crime fiction was not handed down on a silver platter. In the course of her pursuit to achieve her dreams and develop her potentialities, Higgins Clark suffered a great deal of tragedy. Each time a golden opportunity comes her way, death of a family member coincidentally occurs. Here, I have uncovered how 'death' was destined to play a pivotal role in her journey through worldwide fame and recognition:
After the death of her father Luke, Higgins Clark graduated from Saint Francis Xavier Grammar School. She continued her education at the Villa Maria Academy, where she was given the chance to pursue her passion for writing.
Higgins Clark graduated from high school soon after her older brother Joseph died. She studied at Wood Secretarial School and immediately landed a secretarial job, allowing her to finance her studies on advertising and promotion.
On her first day of work as a radio scriptwriter, Higgins Clark's husband Warren died from heart attack. His mother collapsed upon knowing that his son was dead. Higgins-Clark lost her husband and her mother-in-law both on the same day.
A few months after the publication of her debut novel, Aspire to the Heavens, Higgins Clark's mother Nora died.
Higgins Clark was in the midst of writing her first suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, when her younger brother Johnny died. His death left her the sole surviving member of the family. Consequently, the novel became an instant bestseller and marked the turning point in Mary Higgins Clark's career as the Queen of Suspense.
