Novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford, whose books have sold more than 91 million copies to date, has died at the age of 91.

Her own rags-to-riches story mirrored those of many of her heroines, and her dozens of books helped her amass a fortune of $300 million.

Best-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford has died at the age of 91. Barbara Taylor Bradford was a prolific author whose debut book A Woman Of Substance is one of the best-selling novels of all-time. The novel sold more than 30 million copies since its publication in 1979, reports The Sun.

The beloved author died following a short illness on Nov. 24, her representatives confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement

Legendary author Barbara Taylor Bradford, best known for her debut novel "A Woman of Substance," has died at age 91.

Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga “A Woman of Substance” and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies,

Author Barbara Taylor Bradford, known for best-selling novels including A Woman of Substance, has died at the age of 91. Published in 1979, A Woman of Substance sold 30 million copies and spawned seven sequels and a TV adaptation,

Mrs. Bradford amassed an enormous following and fortune with books that championed women who were strong, ambitious, resilient — and fabulously rich and beautiful. She wrote more than 30 bestsellers.