Frederick Philip Grove's My Star Predominant

Frederick Phillip Grove was a writer and teacher who moved to Canada in 1909 from Germany (“Frederick Phillip Grove”). I assume he met Knister through work, as both were writers involved in Canada’s literary scene. His correspondence with Knister is from 1929 to 1931, and similar to Knister’s letters to Pelham Edgar, focused on literature and writing. For instance, Grove reviewed Knister’s first novel, White Narcissus, in one letter (Grove, 15 Nov 1929). Grove was also instrumental in the shaping of My Star Predominant because he was one of three judges of Graphic Publishers’ Canadian Novel Contest, a writing content Knister My Star Predominant into. Knister cut the word count of the novel to 120,000 words due to a suggestion made by Grove that the novel would have a

There’s no mention of any specific name and he addressed it to “My Darling”, but it was written in 1926, a year before he got married, so I assume it was written to his wife, then fiancé, Myrtle Gamble. The use of the term of endearment “my darling” shows the intimacy of their relationship. This is also the longest letter Knister has written from my studies of his correspondence and the most personal: he mentions his love for her, his hopes for their future together, as well as updating her on his work and how he is (Knister, 11 June 1926). There is implication that they’re engaged, but it also seems that her family disapproves of the engagement (Knister, 11 June 1926). Knister writes, “I fear that you are over-susceptible to the opinion of people around you in this case at least, and I hate to think of you spending a year in an atmosphere of opposition. Perhaps the open announcement was best, but don’t say a word more. Let others engage in the destructive work of argument and calculation. After a while they will see, or at least get tired and ashamed. If we’re going to stick together, now’s the time” (Knister, 11 June