Fri 26 Mar 2010
The inquiry below arrived in today’s email from John Herrington:
“I am trying to find some information on a Giovanna Francesca Tassinari. Her connection with crime is rather minor as in 1926 she wrote a story ‘The judgment of Solomon’ with Edgar Jepson. She has turned up in the 1960s writing pseudonymous romances; and according to earlier records described herself as an author so I assume there may be other, probably pseudonymous, works in the 1930s to 1950s. Probably romance, but possibly in other genres.
“She was born 1897, probably in Italy, and died in London in 1978. She was probably the daughter of Signora Danyell Tassinari who died in Florence in 1950 and whose obituary says was one of the oldest surviving English-born residents of Florence of the time.
“Could you give her a mention in case the name means something to someone?”
November 6th, 2011 at 10:55 am
Hi Steve,
We knew Giovana very well. She used to vist our home in Haywards Heath in the 1950’s to 1970’s, and stay with us. I saw her a couple of years before she died.
Giovana was known as “Jo” to us. She was my parents’ friend. I think they knew her from the 1920’s or 1930’s. We children knew her as “Auntie Jo”, and adored her.
I will always remember her.
Chrissie
November 6th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Christina
I’ll send your reply on to John Herrington, who may wish to get in touch with you directly. Thanks for stopping by!
— Steve
December 30th, 2011 at 10:57 am
i worked for her in florence and then in baker steet. i knew her well. if you want to know some stories please call me. i live in atlanta.e.mail me then ill give you my phone number. look fowards to hearing from you . i may have met you in her room. happy new year. penelope
December 30th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Penelope
Thanks for the reply! I’ve sent your comment on to John as well.
— Steve
March 30th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Please could I have Penelope Smith’s email adress. I would love to chat with her on email about Giovana Tassinari(Jo).
March 30th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
I’ve sent it directly to you by email.
— Steve
June 11th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Dear Steve,
I’m very glad to give my apport to this discussion.
I’m Giovanna’s nephew, her sister Fiore’s daughter.
I know that she used as pseudonymous the name of Jan Crane for an Italian book entitled “il cuore ricorda” and many others, published by Salani editori together with many other romances. I’m happy that so many people are interested in Giovanna’s works. Giovanna was Sir Dominic Ellis Colnaghi’s nephew, who was English Consull in Florence in 1860’s.
April 2nd, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Hello, this is interesting; I have a book inscribed by the authors to Giovanna Tassinari.
The book is “London Roundabout” pub 1932, by Jan and Cora Gordon
and the inscription refers to her, in brackets as(plain Jane)obviously a reference to her pen name.
April 2nd, 2013 at 2:25 pm
should also have added there is a brief reference to her in that book as a witty writer.
December 14th, 2013 at 7:45 am
Giovanna Tassinari, Auntie JoJo, was a close friend of my mother, Kathleen. I remember that they both used to chatter away in Italian when I was being bathed, which made me very cross. She had a flat in Crawford Street but also spent a lot of time in her apartment in Florence, where I once stayed in 1965. I always remember her with the greatest affection (despite the bathtime discourse), her warmth, earthy good humour and that amazing smoky, throaty chuckle!
I believe my sister may still have family photos of her with my mother and a friend, Goffredo(?)from about the 1930’s. We all went to her funeral at West Brompton cemetery. I confess I have never read any of her books; my understanding was that they were Mills and Boon type stories which hardly appealed to me then. Perhaps I should try them now!
December 28th, 2020 at 6:58 am
Never had any response to my email as yet
Jo just came to mind today for no reason I looked her up
Any new news ?
December 28th, 2020 at 9:36 am
No, nothing new, and no request here for your email address. I’d rather not post it here on an open forum, but I will reply to anyone who asks for it.