She helped to found and was for many years president of the RomanticNovelist's Association. In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: 'We followed our stars', and in1965, the Cook sisters were honoured as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad VashemMartyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel, thus joining OskarSchindler among others. Her flat in Dolphin Square at various times housed homelessEuropean families. For manydecades, her writing supported her two passions: refugees and young operasingers. Her great popularity helped the successof Mills and Boon, and guaranteed substantial income after the war. As Mary Burchell, she became aprolific writer of romantic fiction. The Cooks' own finances were little precarious, and when Ida obtained acontract with Mills and Boon to published her first novel in 1936, she leftthe Civil Service to write full time. Using manytechniques of evasion, including re-labelling furs with London labels, thesisters enabled 29 persons to escape from almost certain death. Thisenabled Jews to satisfy British requirements as regards financial security -Jews were not allowed to leave Germany with their money. The sisters made repeated trips to Germany,bringing back jewellery and valuables belonging to Jewish families. Krauss assisted them, even arranging to perform incities they needed to visit. Having accomplished this, the sisters continued the goodwork, pretending to be eccentric opera fanatics willing to go anywhere tohear a favourite artist. In 1934, Krauss's wife asked the sisters to help a friend toleave Germany. They also came to know the Austrian conductor ClemensKrauss, and it was through he that Cooks learned of the persecution ofEuropean Jews. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera.Ī constant presence at Covent Garden, the pair became close to some of thegreatest singers of the era Amelia Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle, Tito Gobbiand Maria Callas.

With her older sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick.

Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England.

A song begins by mary burchell