Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Rumer Godden

Charting Jul 31, 1939 → Feb 22, 1970 · 127 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 6.94%; week of Oct 9, 1939
Career Power: 716; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 118; March 1969 – February 1970
Peak Five Years: 217; August 1956 – August 1961
Top-five weeks: 21; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 127; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 12.64%; week of Aug 14, 1939
Comebacks: 6; July 1953, January 1956, May 1958, April 1961, November 1963, November 1969

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Jan 1, 1940	Jul 12, 1953	706	325	6.94%	2.52%
After absence	Nov 22, 1953	Jan 22, 1956	112	107	6.94%	2.62%
After decline	May 13, 1956	May 18, 1958	105	100	6.94%	2.84%
After absence	Oct 26, 1958	Apr 30, 1961	129	124	6.94%	2.73%
After absence	Oct 8, 1961	Nov 10, 1963	108	105	6.94%	2.60%
After absence	Mar 29, 1964	Nov 23, 1969	293	287	6.94%	2.69%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

11 books · 716 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
In This House of Brede	#4January 1970	19	October 1969 – February 1970	117.8	117.8
Black Narcissus	#2August 1939	11	July 1939 – October 1939	111.4	111.4
The Greengage Summer	#5June 1958	21	April 1958 – August 1958	110.1	110.1
China Court	#5June 1961	21	March 1961 – August 1961	106.9	106.9
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita	#5November 1963	14	October 1963 – January 1964	90.5	90.5
Kingfishers Catch Fire	#5July 1953	17	June 1953 – October 1953	84.8	84.8
An Episode of Sparrows	#8January 1956	16	December 1955 – April 1956	67.0	67.0
A Candle for St. Jude	#12August 1948	4	August 1948 – September 1948	10.8	10.8
Gypsy, Gypsy	#5August 1940	1	August 1940	8.3	8.3
A Breath of Air	#11February 1951	2	February 1951 – March 1951	6.0	6.0
The River	#13November 1946	1	November 1946	2.8	2.8