Award winning American novelist Alison Lurie was best known for her titles The War Between the Tates and Foreign Affairs.
Her husband, Edward Hower, confirmed the Pulitzer Prize-winning author has died at the age of 94 in Ithaca, New York.
As well as being a writer, folklorist and scholar of children’s literature, Ms Lurie was also a long term tutor at Cornell University.
Born in Chicago on September 3, 1926, the writer grew up in New York and was the daughter of Bernice (Stewart) Lurie and Harry Lawrence Lurie.
Her mother was a book critic and journalist while her father, a sociologist, directed the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.
Ms Lurie graduated from Radcliffe College in 1947 with a bachelors degree in history and literature and went on to marry literary scholar, Jonathan Peale Bishop the next year.
The pair had three sons before they divorced in 1985 as she later married writer Edward Hower.
Authoring 10 books, Ms Lurie also wrote short stories and essay collections.
Her most notable writings, The War Between the Tates, 1974 and Foreign Affairs, 1984 – for which she won the Pulitzer Prize – were both later made into films.
Many took to social media to pay tribute to the award-winning author.
Mary Gilliland said: “My generous and inspiring friend Alison Lurie passed away peacefully this morning.
“Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, insightful and incisive essay writer on contemporary fiction, children’s literature, social trends, Alison loved to read books — and people.”
Elly Griffiths added: “Very sad to hear of the death of Alison Lurie. One of my favourite writers.
“She wrote with a wonderful ease and humour that disguised her brilliance. I’ve read her books to ragged shreds. RIP.”
John Ash wrote: “We’re all deeply saddened to hear of the death of Alison Lurie.
“Just the other day I gave a copy of Foreign Affairs to my dad, who read it in one sitting, completely entranced, and has been raving about it since and compulsively rereading the ending.
“A truly great writer.”
