During this same period he also wrote several stories, reviews and articles, and a collection of poems dedicated to his daughter, Phyllis May, who died suddenly on Jat the age of twelve. Deacon, then literary editor of the Toronto Saturday Night, Graham Spry, later executive president of the Canadian Clubs, and Lorne Pierce, editor of Ryerson Press.īetween 19 Grove published twelve books including Over Prairie Trails (1922), The Turn of The Year (1923), Settlers of the Marsh (1925), A Search for America (1927), Our Daily Bread (1928) and It Needs to Be Said (1929). Kirkconnell was his “private library service”, while Phelps provided connections with many influential literary people such as W. Two of Grove’s life-long associates were Arthur Leonard Phelps and Watson Kirkconnell, both of whom he first met in March 1923 at a teacher’s convention in Winnipeg. In the summer of 1922 Grove became principal of the high school in Rapid City, Manitoba, and although he suffered from several long-term illnesses, he taught there until 1924. Grove did not receive his Bachelor of Arts degree until 1922. During this time, his daughter Phyllis May was born. In September 1915 he enrolled at the University of Manitoba as an extramural student, majoring in French and English.
In the next seven years Grove taught in six different schools, as well as pursuing his own academic interests. On Augthey were married, the bride aged 22, the groom giving his age as 41. Tena (Catherine) Wiens was a fellow teacher and became Grove’s close friend and confidante. From January to June 1913 he taught in the town of Haskett and during the following summer was appointed principal of the Intermediate School in Winkler, where he remained until July 1915. He spent many years teaching in various rural communities of Southern Manitoba. An important element of Grove’s life was his role as an educator. He studied at Bonn University in 1898 and sometime between 19 immigrated to North America. In all likelihood, Frederick Philip Grove was born Februat Radomno, on the Polish-Prussian border. In accordance with increasing academic support in favor of Paul Greve and Frederick Philip Grove being the same individual, this thesis has been accepted in the present context. However, a number of scholars have come to believe that Grove’s original name was Felix Paul Greve.1 Many aspects of this man’s life tie in with Grove’s, many do not.
Where he came from, who he was, what he did and why he left may never be absolutely known. Grove kept secret his life prior to his arrival in Winnipeg, Manitoba in December 1912. An intriguing aspect of this man is the mystery surrounding his origins. Frederick Philip Grove is one of the most important and debatable novelists in Canadian literature.