Mary Ann Rivers was born July 1, 1907. She attended school in Germany and England and was educated in the arts and sciences at the University of London. Her first novel, The Green Petticoat (1952), was published by Doubleday. The book was a critical and commercial success and won the American Library Association's Gold Medal for Best Novel of 1952
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Her second novel, The Last Straw (1957), was also a bestseller and won both the Copley Medal and the Edgar Award for Mystery Fiction of 1957. She has received many awards and honors for her writing including: five honorary doctoral degrees from leading universities, an Honorary LLD from Bennington College, three Silver Jubilee Medals from the Commonwealth Club of California, a citation from Los Angeles City Council, a citation from the San Francisco Police Department for "outstanding achievement in promoting careers in writing," a citation from Washington University in St. Louis for "outstanding contribution to literature," a citation from Associated Boards of Jewish Education for "superior contribution to Jewish education," a citation from the Book–of–the–Month Club, a citation from National Puzzlers Club, a citation from California Writers Club, a Starred Review by the New York Times Book Review, and an Honorable Mention from International Association of Crime Writers.
She has been honored by organizations such as: Authors Guild; Association of American Publishers; Los Angeles County Bar Foundation; Southern California Bar Association; American Society of Journalists & Authors; American Federation of Television & Radio Artists; Screen Actors Guild; Writers Guild of America; Television Academy Hall of Fame; Motion Picture Academy; Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.