A Great woman: Agatha Christie
click on her picture
ALWAYS click on Agatha's picture to change page
Read about Agatha's life and answer the questions on your worksheet. At the end of each activity, you will get a secret word. Write these words in your exercise book. Who is the mystery character that they refer to ? ....
Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie became, and remains, the best-selling novelist of all time. She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections (...) Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. She was home schooled largely by her father, an American. Agatha was curious and she taught herself to read by the age of five. She also learnt French with her governess. Her father died when she was 11 years old. From the age of 15 Agatha took piano and singing lessons. She could have been a professional pianist but she was too shy. She started writing short stories at the age of 18.
In 1910, Agatha and her mum set off for Cairo, in Egypt. In 1912, Agatha met Archie Christie, a qualified aviator . They married on Christmas Eve 1914 after both had experienced war: Archie as an aviator in France and Agatha, as a nurse on the Home Front now working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment in a Red Cross Hospital in Torquay. It was during the First World War that Agatha turned to writing detective stories. Her debut novel was called "The Mysterious Affair at Styles". Hercule Poirot was born : her famous Belgian detective with the big moustache. Agatha and Archie had a child, a daughter called Rosalind. In 1928, Archie and Agatha divorced: Archie loved another woman. Agatha was devastated.
One of Agatha’s lifelong ambitions had been to travel on the Orient Expresss: her first journey was in 1928. Agatha set off for Baghdad, in Iraq, and she met an archaeologist called Max Mallowan. He became her second husband. During World War II, Max got a job in Cairo - using his languages to assist the war effort while Agatha remained in England, writing and also volunteering at a hospital in London. Agatha wrote loads of detective stories during the war. She missed Max a lot. Agatha's last public appearance was at the opening night of the 1974 film version of Murder on the Orient Express . After a VERY successful career and a very happy life Agatha died peacefully on 12 January 1976. She is buried in near Wallingford, in England.
Click on the picture and tell your teacher WHO is the secret character pointed out by the secret words !
