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Charmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer
Charmian Kittredge London (1871–1955) was the epitome of a modern woman. Free-spirited and adventurous, she defied modern expectations of femininity. Today she is best known as the wife of the famous American author Jack London, yet she was a literary trailblazer in her own right. This biography is the first book to tell the complete story of Charmian’s life—freed from the shadow cast by her famous husband.
In this biography, Iris Jamahl Dunkle draws the reader into Charmian’s private and public worlds, underscoring her literary achievements and the significant role she played in promoting her husband’s legacy. Her life, as Dunkle emphasizes, required fortitude and bravery, and in many ways it paralleled the history of the American West.
Born on the mudflats of what would become Los Angeles’s harbor, Charmian became an orphan at age fourteen. Raised by her aunt Netta Wiley Ames, a noted writer and editor for the Overland Monthly , Charmian attended college, became an expert equestrian and concert pianist, and had a successful career as a stenographer. But her life shifted when, in 1905, she married Jack London, already a bestselling author. For the rest of Jack’s life, until his untimely death at the age of forty, reporters would follow the couple’s every move. Charmian and Jack traveled the world, exploring and writing together.
In addition to collaborating with Jack on many of his projects, Charmian wrote three books about her travels, as well as countless articles. After Jack’s death in 1916, she remained a celebrity, continuing to travel and write—and seek adventure. She also wrote a biography about her late husband and managed his estate, influencing how Jack’s literary legacy was remembered .
Charmian Kittredge London is a central figure in California cultural history. Now, thanks to Dunkle’s riveting portrait, readers have the opportunity to embark on the grand adventure that was her life.
In this biography, Iris Jamahl Dunkle draws the reader into Charmian’s private and public worlds, underscoring her literary achievements and the significant role she played in promoting her husband’s legacy. Her life, as Dunkle emphasizes, required fortitude and bravery, and in many ways it paralleled the history of the American West.
Born on the mudflats of what would become Los Angeles’s harbor, Charmian became an orphan at age fourteen. Raised by her aunt Netta Wiley Ames, a noted writer and editor for the Overland Monthly , Charmian attended college, became an expert equestrian and concert pianist, and had a successful career as a stenographer. But her life shifted when, in 1905, she married Jack London, already a bestselling author. For the rest of Jack’s life, until his untimely death at the age of forty, reporters would follow the couple’s every move. Charmian and Jack traveled the world, exploring and writing together.
In addition to collaborating with Jack on many of his projects, Charmian wrote three books about her travels, as well as countless articles. After Jack’s death in 1916, she remained a celebrity, continuing to travel and write—and seek adventure. She also wrote a biography about her late husband and managed his estate, influencing how Jack’s literary legacy was remembered .
Charmian Kittredge London is a central figure in California cultural history. Now, thanks to Dunkle’s riveting portrait, readers have the opportunity to embark on the grand adventure that was her life.
- GenresBiography
312 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2020
15 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Iris Jamahl Dunkle
12 books31 followersIris Jamahl Dunkle is an award-winning literary biographer, essayist, and poet. Her academic and creative work challenges the Western myth of progress by examining the devastating impact that agriculture and over-population have had, and continue to have, on the North American West. Taking an ecofeminist bent, her writing also challenges the American West’s male-oriented recorded history by researching the lives of women. She obtained her MFA in poetry from New York University, and her PhD in American Literature from Case Western Reserve University.
Dunkle’s West : Fire : Archive is a poetry collection that challenges preconceived, androcentric ideas about biography, autobiography, and history fueled by the Western myth of progress presented in Frederick Jackson Turner’s “frontier thesis.” Each section is presented as if it is an archival box filled with artifacts, the first of which opens to the maligned life of Charmian Kittredge London the wife of the famous author Jack London. The poems unstitch and resew her life, invigorating the old narrative with her forgotten attributes: her disregard of gender norms, her pioneer heritage, and her sense of adventure. The second archival box examines the act of autobiography. In it, Dunkle writes through the complex grief of losing her mother and her community when it is devastated by wildfires and reflects on how these disasters echo the one that brought her family to California, the Dust Bowl. The final archival box questions the authenticity of the definition of recorded history as it relates to the American West.
In 2020, her biography on Charmian Kittredge London, Jack London's wife, was published by the University of Oklahoma Press. It’s a work that questions and rewrites the narrative presented of Jack and Charmian London by fictional biographers like Irving Stone by recreating Charmian's life through her perspective. Dunkle believes that biography can be revolutionary; it can challenge established ideas that have been fixed in history and through careful research resurrect the lives of those who have been misremembered. Charmian Kittredge London was a New Woman, an author, and an adventurer whose accomplishments (and disruptions) history had all but forgotten. Prominent Jack London scholar and author of Jack London: An American Life Earle Labor called Dunkle’s work “essential reading” and claimed that it was the “biography Charmian would have wanted to have written about her life.” Jack London Scholar, Jonah Raskin called the book "riveting. . . . This biography sets the record as straight as it can be straightened. . . . Despite her flaws, or perhaps because of them, Charmian is indeed the kind of woman whom one would love to have known.”
Dunkle lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dunkle’s West : Fire : Archive is a poetry collection that challenges preconceived, androcentric ideas about biography, autobiography, and history fueled by the Western myth of progress presented in Frederick Jackson Turner’s “frontier thesis.” Each section is presented as if it is an archival box filled with artifacts, the first of which opens to the maligned life of Charmian Kittredge London the wife of the famous author Jack London. The poems unstitch and resew her life, invigorating the old narrative with her forgotten attributes: her disregard of gender norms, her pioneer heritage, and her sense of adventure. The second archival box examines the act of autobiography. In it, Dunkle writes through the complex grief of losing her mother and her community when it is devastated by wildfires and reflects on how these disasters echo the one that brought her family to California, the Dust Bowl. The final archival box questions the authenticity of the definition of recorded history as it relates to the American West.
In 2020, her biography on Charmian Kittredge London, Jack London's wife, was published by the University of Oklahoma Press. It’s a work that questions and rewrites the narrative presented of Jack and Charmian London by fictional biographers like Irving Stone by recreating Charmian's life through her perspective. Dunkle believes that biography can be revolutionary; it can challenge established ideas that have been fixed in history and through careful research resurrect the lives of those who have been misremembered. Charmian Kittredge London was a New Woman, an author, and an adventurer whose accomplishments (and disruptions) history had all but forgotten. Prominent Jack London scholar and author of Jack London: An American Life Earle Labor called Dunkle’s work “essential reading” and claimed that it was the “biography Charmian would have wanted to have written about her life.” Jack London Scholar, Jonah Raskin called the book "riveting. . . . This biography sets the record as straight as it can be straightened. . . . Despite her flaws, or perhaps because of them, Charmian is indeed the kind of woman whom one would love to have known.”
Dunkle lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 14, 2022
Poet biographer Iris Jamahl Dunkle does a beautiful job of reconstructing the life and vibrant personality of Charmian Kittredge London, a trailblazing adventurer and writer whose life story, up until now, remained overshadowed by that of her life partner, writer Jack London. Dunkle’s thorough research gives us the biographical details that set the emotional compass of Charmian’s course through love, betrayal, and the journey to realizing her dream of becoming a writer even as she gave much of her time and energy to supporting Jack’s work. I see Dunkle as a trailblazer for foregrounding the devastating betrayal of Charmian’s privacy by Irving Stone, unearthing a storyline that will interest any writer who has ever kept a diary. Anyone from Northern California will delight in Dunkle’s meticulous historical research and the accounts of the various towns and happenings Charmian and Jack traveled through including the account of the fires following the 1906 SF earthquake. Dunkle also documents problematic parts of history and the times Charmian lived through (blackbirding vessels, the leper colony on Molokai, and more). The book delineates the arc of Charmian’s dedication to becoming a writer and her enthusiasm and willingness to endure despite setback after setback.
I recommend pairing this book with Dunkle’s poetry book based on the same material, West: Fire: Archive. In the poem, “Sailor by Horseback”—which is the title of Irving Stone’s biography of Jack London for which he purportedly pilfered through Charmian’s papers to gain access to their life story and timeline of love—Dunkle writes, “Let us set the record straight.” Dunkle begins that process in both books and inspires us to consider other lives worthy of researching and bringing forward in print. What an act of love, this kind of reconstruction.
I recommend pairing this book with Dunkle’s poetry book based on the same material, West: Fire: Archive. In the poem, “Sailor by Horseback”—which is the title of Irving Stone’s biography of Jack London for which he purportedly pilfered through Charmian’s papers to gain access to their life story and timeline of love—Dunkle writes, “Let us set the record straight.” Dunkle begins that process in both books and inspires us to consider other lives worthy of researching and bringing forward in print. What an act of love, this kind of reconstruction.
October 18, 2022
The content is wonderfully compelling and demonstrates what a powerhouse Kitteridge London was in her own right. Unfortunately the copy-editing is so poor (spelling and grammatical errors, contradictory statements) that it distracts from the narrative.
June 30, 2021
What an amazing woman – courageous, adventurous, resilient and strong! I really enjoyed learning about Charmian K. London. She was a woman ahead of her time -- a trailblazer in dress, career and marriage. Even so, she struggled between maintaining her independence, developing her career, and fulfilling her role as a wife.
This book did a thorough job of covering Charmian's life, not just her role as Mrs. London. I appreciated the detail about her childhood circumstances and the influences that shaped her approach to life -- preparing her for the adventurous and intellectually curious marriage that she shared with Jack London.
I recommend this book, it is worth the read. (Hint: Don't let the very long first chapter chase you away from this book, just skip it and start with the second chapter.)
This book did a thorough job of covering Charmian's life, not just her role as Mrs. London. I appreciated the detail about her childhood circumstances and the influences that shaped her approach to life -- preparing her for the adventurous and intellectually curious marriage that she shared with Jack London.
I recommend this book, it is worth the read. (Hint: Don't let the very long first chapter chase you away from this book, just skip it and start with the second chapter.)
October 25, 2020
Iris Dunkle certainly did her homework prior to writing this book. Her research is commendable to say the least. For anyone not familiar with Jack London or Charmian this book may be enlightening. On the other hand, it may seem a bit overwhelming and perhaps even confusing at times. However, that being said, it is well written, well documented and even enlightening at times.
Charmian was an independent woman well ahead of her time and was not one to kowtow to many. She liked her freedom and she was adventurous. However, once she fell in love with Jack London she was completely enamored with him and became somewhat of a codependent. He was a well established writer before he met her, but after their marriage she was pretty much his backbone. She joined him in his many adventures and was proud to be his "mate." However, she also took on the responsibility of providing him emotional and physical support. She had a long life after his death as a widow and was able to become the independent woman she always wanted to be.
I think the book is a fitting tribute to Charmian, if not a bit demeaning to Jack London. But then again, like so many artists it is not surprising that he lived a fast-paced almost destructive life. I suspect that some Jack London worshipers may not be pleased with some of what they read in this book, but I do believe it is an honest portrayal of both Jack London and Charmian Kittredge London.
Charmian was an independent woman well ahead of her time and was not one to kowtow to many. She liked her freedom and she was adventurous. However, once she fell in love with Jack London she was completely enamored with him and became somewhat of a codependent. He was a well established writer before he met her, but after their marriage she was pretty much his backbone. She joined him in his many adventures and was proud to be his "mate." However, she also took on the responsibility of providing him emotional and physical support. She had a long life after his death as a widow and was able to become the independent woman she always wanted to be.
I think the book is a fitting tribute to Charmian, if not a bit demeaning to Jack London. But then again, like so many artists it is not surprising that he lived a fast-paced almost destructive life. I suspect that some Jack London worshipers may not be pleased with some of what they read in this book, but I do believe it is an honest portrayal of both Jack London and Charmian Kittredge London.
February 24, 2022
Iris Jamahl Dunkle has given us what will certainly be considered the definitive biography of Charmian Kittredge London. It is biography as it should be written, thoroughly researched and written by someone who truly liked and appreciated the subject, but without falling into misleading worship. Charmian was indeed a fascinating person who unfortunately often simply gets characterized as "Jack London's wife." She was far from just a background player, as the author effectively demonstrates. Charmian was a formidable person who challenged many of the social mores of her time. As noted in the title, she was a trailblazer and author and adventurer and a proper partner for Jack London, who is portrayed as the real person he was rather than as some sort of superhuman. His flaws are noted, but not in a vindictive way. It was simply the way it was. Irving Stone gets some well-deserved lumps for unethical behavior in his pursuit of "the truth" regarding the Londons. While he did succeed in challenging some of the image that the Londons produced, the way he went about it was not exactly honorable. Throughout the book, Dunkel backs up her assertions with solid research, writing in a simultaneously informative and engaging style. Highly recommended.
November 21, 2022
I had no idea who Charmian Kittredge London was before I visited the Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, CA. But during a lovely visit there, during which I visited Beauty Ranch, the House of Happy Walls, the ruins of Wolf House, and many other sites referenced in this book, I wanted to learn more about Jack London's wife - as she fascinated me far more than he ever did! (Although now that I've learned more about him, perhaps I should revisit his books again.) I'm happy to have found this book for sale in the gift shop.
Anyway, Ms. Dunkle has written a fine biography of a compelling woman who was, in many ways, ahead of her time. Charmian was as independent as any modern woman, and probably more adventurous than most of us. She was an active socialist, an accomplished equestrian, a successful writer, and a world traveler - and managed to do all this while supporting her husband and his career, as well. Her life was not without its tragedy, but she overcame it all. The footnotes - of which there are many! - tell the story of the incredible research that the author did in telling Charmian's story and doing her justice.
Anyway, Ms. Dunkle has written a fine biography of a compelling woman who was, in many ways, ahead of her time. Charmian was as independent as any modern woman, and probably more adventurous than most of us. She was an active socialist, an accomplished equestrian, a successful writer, and a world traveler - and managed to do all this while supporting her husband and his career, as well. Her life was not without its tragedy, but she overcame it all. The footnotes - of which there are many! - tell the story of the incredible research that the author did in telling Charmian's story and doing her justice.
June 19, 2021
This was an excellent book. It told the story of Charmain Kitteridge and her upbringing and how she became enamored with Jack London. Jack London is a local celebrity since his home is in Glen Ellen. This book credits Charmain for being an editor and strong supporter of Jack London’s work. Their relationship was extraordinary. Although Charmain was disappointed in the fact that Jack would drink to much, she was able to have a marvelous collaboration and unique connection with Jack when they would travel by ship.
Some parts of the biography were unbelievable, like when Jack & Charmain took to sea with the Snark with inexperienced crew members …on their way to Hawaii.
I highly recommend this book for people interested in the historical events of writers in the Bay Area in the early 1900’s, and for readers who are interested in women finding their own way and navigating their own paths.
Some parts of the biography were unbelievable, like when Jack & Charmain took to sea with the Snark with inexperienced crew members …on their way to Hawaii.
I highly recommend this book for people interested in the historical events of writers in the Bay Area in the early 1900’s, and for readers who are interested in women finding their own way and navigating their own paths.
September 24, 2022
Charmian London is known today as the wife of Jack London. But Iris Dunkle and those of us fortunate to live near the ranch Charmian and Jack London created in Sonoma County know that she maintained and created what they had built together. After her husband’s death, Charmian continued writing and working with publishers to keep her husband’s legacy alive. In her own right, she was a fascinating and creative person. She initiated many of the adventures that she and Jack undertook. She edited and participated in writing many of his books. She was a full partner in his life and afterward, she developed the property and built a beautiful home for herself which can be visited today. One of the most interesting activities available to guests at JackLondon State Historic Park is the piano concerts, played on Charmian’s beautiful piano. It is because of her enterprise and spirit that this fascinating couple live on.
November 26, 2020
A beautifully written and moving biography by Iris Jamahl Dunkle. I'll be writing much more about it elsewhere.I highly recommend this book to all who loves stories of strong women who have lived much "in the shadow of" a well-known man.
January 17, 2021
What an interesting person Charmian was! The world she lived in and tried to make a difference in is so different than mine. And truly she was a Trailblazer!
Randy and I both enjoyed reading this together and the photos were a good assortment and accompaniment. Randy lives near Jack London State Park and has been there many times, but didn't know any of this information about her. I can't wait to visit, now that I know more!
Randy and I both enjoyed reading this together and the photos were a good assortment and accompaniment. Randy lives near Jack London State Park and has been there many times, but didn't know any of this information about her. I can't wait to visit, now that I know more!
June 8, 2022
Very well written book about the life of Charmian Kittredge London. The author did not gloss over what might have been construed as cringeworthy about Ms. London or her husband, writer Jack London. This will make me seek out some of Charmian's books at my local library
January 6, 2023
Read like a novel. Fascinating woman who worked tirelessly to further London's career after his early death. She was a real adventurer. I was moved to read this biography after visiting Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen California.
September 25, 2020
I interviewed Iris Jamahl Dunkle on What's The Story? Listen here: https://www.krsh.com/whats-the-story/
November 19, 2022
This book was simply excellent. Well written, well researched with minimal assumptions by author regarding intent or thought of subject. Was a compelling book about a compelling woman. A must read.
September 14, 2024
Fantastic biography about an amazing, inspiring woman.
March 26, 2022
Thoroughly researched, well-written biography of the life and times of the famous wife of the famous author.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews