She was born on August 26, 1931 in Denver, Colorado. She married Gordon H. Pearce (1951-1953) and after the divorce, she married Robert D. Basart (1955-1993) and remained with him until his death after she had two children with him. Among her most important works: Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939), The Blue Bird (1940), Kings Row (1942) and Blood and Sand (1941).