Author, Journalist. She was a popular Danish writer best known for her number of historical novels in which her main characters were strong-willed individuals mainly women. Her female characters excel in their reasoning, sensitivity and strength while her stories are situated in a variety of environments, convincingly depicting people from various walks of life including circus folk, farmers, emigrants or the aristocracy. She is also remembered for her numerous travel books and collections of essays. She was born Karen Lydia Aabye in Copenhagen, Denmark, to wholesale merchant Rudolph Christian Aabye, from the nearby district of Nørrebro, Norway. She was educated locally and attended the Karen Kjær's School (or Nørre Gymnasium) which offered students both Danish instruction as well as the International Baccalaureate curriculum. She studied and then finished her school exams. Following her education, she found work as a clerk in an office and later as a journalist. She travelled to Paris, France, and worked for the weekly newspaper publication "Skandinaver i Paris" from 1929 to 1931. She returned to Denmark shortly thereafter and found a job as the editorial secretary for the publication "Politikens Lytterbald," and was also a foreign correspondent for the publication "Politiken" in London, England, and Paris, France, from 1936 to 1937. She then wrote for the daily publication of "Berlingske Tidende," based in Copenhagen, Denmark, beginning in 1937. Her reports, commentaries, and essays, became a deep interest in the developments of the pre-war period in all the publications she wrote for during this time. While contributing her work to newspapers she also became a writer of novels. Her first work, "Der er langt til Paris" (or "There Is A Lond Way To Paris") was released in 1939. Her next works, "Det skete ved Kisum Bakke" (or "It Happened at Kisum Bakke") (1942), "Fruen til Kejsergården" ("The Lady Of The Emperor") (1943), and "Vi, der elsker livet" (or "We Who Love Life") (1944), which were released during the Second World War told the story and developments in the life of a strong-willed woman living in the north of Zealand during the 19th century. With her earnings from her writings, she was able to purchase a villa in the city of Bagsværd, Norway, which she named 'Kisum Bakke.' The villa which was designed by famed architect Elliot Hjuler was completed in May 1944 but it was dynamited and destroyed by the Brøndumbande Terrorist Group who sympathized with the Germans in December 1944. During this time she had become a known member of the local chapter of the Holger-Danske Danish Resistance and was luckily not at home at the time. The villa was rebuilt in 1945 and enlarged in 1956. Her other works during this time include a five-volume novel set in 19th Century rural Jutland, Denmark, which tells the story and traces the lives of people who later emigrated to America, which include "Martine" (1950), "Min søn Janus" (or "My Son Janus") (1951), "Brænd dine skibe" (or "Burn Your Ships") (1952), "Det gyldne land" (or "The Golden Country") (1953), and "Den røde dal" (or "The Red Valley") (1954). Her other works include travel books on her own experiences including "Dejligt, at Amerika ikke ligger langt herfra" (or "Nice That America Is Not Far From Here") (1949), and "Irland — min tossed ø" (or "Ireland - my tossed island") (1963), the fictional biographies, "Grevinden af Bagsværd" (or "Countess of Bagsværd") (1958), and "Min bedstemor er jomfru" ("My Grandmother Is A Virgin") (1965), and a collection of essays, "Fra mit skovhus" (or "From My Forest House") (1968). Besides, "Det er langt til Paris" (or "There Is A Lond Way To Paris") (1939), "En kvinde har alt" (1940), "Vi skal ikke ha' penge tilbage!" (1941), "Det skete ved Kisum Bakke" (or "It Happened at Kisum Bakke") (1942), "Fruen til Kejsergården" ("The Lady Of The Emperor") (1943), "Vi, der elkser livet" (or "We Who Love Life") (1944), "Jupiter glemmer aldrig" (1945), "Vi skal snart hjem" (1946), "Flugten til Sverige" (1947), "Kvinde, gå mod solen" (1947), "Branden Magasin du Monde" (1948), "Dejligt, at Amerika ikke ligger langt herfra" (or "Nice That America Is Not Far From Here") (1949), "Martine" (1950), "Min søn Janus" (or "My Son Janus") (1951), "Ferie i himlen" (1951), "Brænd dine skibe" (or "Burn Your Ships") (1952), "Det gyldne land" (or "The Golden Country") (1953), "Grønt er mit hjerte" (1953), "Den røde dal" (or "The Red Valley") (1954), "Den første ørkenbrand" (1955), "Italiensk romance" (1955), "Lille gule sky" (1957), "Grevinden af Bagsværd" (or "Countess of Bagsværd") (1958), "Vi kan sagtens" (1958), "Iwan" (1959), "Vi er så unge" (1961), "Irland — min tossed ø" (or "Ireland - my tossed island") (1963),"Min bedstemor er jomfru" ("My Grandmother Is A Virgin") (1965), "Pesten går i rødt, jomfru Dorthe" (1966), "Ursula" (1967), and "Fra mit skovhus" (or "From My Forest House") (1968), her many other works include, "Constance" (1972), "Grønne horisonter" (1973), "Ørnens rede" (1974), "Da jeg så Robert" (1979), and "Dyr der krydsede min vej" (1980). She continued to write until her death at her villa 'Kisum Bakke' on September 15, 1982, at the age of 77. She was cremated and her ashes were buried in an urn in a private garden in Bagsværd, Denmark.