The writer who survived a mother's rejection to become an icon

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Paula Fox was abandoned at birth by her mother and raised by a succession of relatives and caregivers. Despite this traumatic start, she became one of the most decorated children's authors in history, eventually finding a literary revival that championed her complex adult fiction.

Born in New York City in 1923 to a Cuban screenwriter mother and a writer father, Paula Fox’s early life was defined by profound instability. Her mother, Elsie De Sola, rejected her at birth, leaving the infant at a foundling home. Candelaria de Sola, her grandmother on her mother's side, saved her and left her in Balmville, New York, with Reverend Elwood Corning and his mother who was confined to bed. Fox later described her mother as a "sociopath," recalling a reunion at age five that she felt would have been fatal had her mother chosen to hide the act of rejection.

Fox’s path to literary success was non-linear. After spending just five months in secondary school, she enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies between 1955 and 1958. After years as a teacher and tutor for troubled children, she began writing her first novel, Poor George, in her 40s. Despite being praised by Bernard Bergonzi as "the best novel I've read in a long time", the book failed commercially, starting a trend of low sales that lasted for many years.

In contrast to her adult fiction, Fox achieved massive international recognition for children's literature. The Slave Dancer earned her the Newbery Medal in 1974, while the Hans Christian Andersen Award—the premier global prize for children's authors—was granted to her in 1978. Though her six novels went out of print in 1992, she experienced a significant revival in the mid-1990s when authors like Jonathan Franzen championed her work. The New York State Writers Hall of Fame welcomed her into its ranks during 2011.

Her personal life was equally complex and intertwined with cultural figures. During 1943, she resided with Stella Adler, an acting instructor, and befriended Marlon Brando; meanwhile, she surrendered her child, Linda Carroll, to be adopted. Despite persistent rumors regarding Brando's paternity, neither ever commented. Fox’s lineage continues through Carroll, who is the mother of musician Courtney Love.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• How a missionary's daughter transformed children's literature by embracing life's most difficult truths
• How a widowed mother became the most influential editor in nineteenth-century children's literature.
• The melancholy origins of the world's most famous velveteen toy
• How a former special education teacher became a global literary phenomenon for young readers
• How a widowed mother of five became the queen of suspense novels
• How a rejected manuscript became a global phenomenon about following one's personal legend
• The novelist who traded a 'prince's' career for an alcoholic exile
• Missionaries gave Taiwanese speech a Latin alphabet and Taiwan its first newspaper
• Paul Éluard: The Surrealist poet who turned the horrors of war into revolutionary verse.
• Pearl Buck told a room of missionary women that China didn't need them
• Paul Laurence Dunbar was the literary giant who became your favorite poet's favorite poet.
• Spain’s Shakespeare asked whether life is only a dream

More in Writers · More in Ideas & Philosophy · Latest · A–Z · All topics