Her first novel

"I Capture the Castle" was Dodie
Smith's first novel. She wrote it in
1948 while on a sojourn to America.
The sojourn was a move to avoid the
British draft by her husband! Home-
sickness inspired her to write "I write
this sitting in the kitchen sink."

Although Smith missed her home, she and Beesley
stayed in America for many years after the war ended --
they didn't want to put their Dalmatian dogs through
the six months' quarantine that was then required to
bring pets into England. ( from B&N Meet the Writers)
Sound familar.
"101 Dalmatians" came out in 1958.



First British edition, pub. 1949.