Wolff, Maritta

MARITTA WOLFF (1918-2002) wrote seven novels during her lifetime. Her first, Whistle Stop, was published in 1941 when she was just 22; it won rave reviews, the Avery Hopwood Award, and praise from Sinclair Lewis. Five vibrantly raw best-sellers followed. By the time she wrote her seventh novel, Wolff was fed up with the publishing world. She stored the completed manuscript for "Sudden Rain" in her refrigerator, where it remained for 30 years.