Order of Mary Renault Books

Mary Renault was a writer of historical fiction, known for novels like The Bull from the Sea, The Persian Boy, and The Last of the Wine. Born in Essex in 1905, she lived until 1983, passing away at the age of 78. She studied English at St. Hugh’s College, an all-women’s college in Oxford, before earning her undergraduate degree. After training as a nurse, she met Julie Mullard, her lifelong partner. Readers of Renault often believe that her novel The Friendly Young Ladies, which explores a lesbian relationship between a nurse and a writer, was inspired by this relationship. Mary began her writing career with her first novel, Purposes of Love, published in 1939.