A wood engraver and author, born into a wealthy and distinguished family near Uckfield, Sussex. She grew up mainly in Castle Hill House, Torrington, Devon.
Her private tutor, Francis E James, a flower painter, inspired her interest in art. After the death of her father in 1918, she went to Florence to study at Marfori Savini's studio. Accompanied by her mother, Grieve returned to England as fascism took hold in Italy. She settled in St. Ives where her interest in book illustration led her towards wood engraving.
In 1925 she married Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark in St. Ives, and they travelled on postings to China and Sarawak. Returning from the Far East in 1936, she continued to travel extensively, devoting more time to writing than art. Her husband was killed in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in WWII. She later married John Keevil, the medical historian.
Her writings include: A Race of Green Ginger (1959), on her experiences in South China; Time and Chance (1970), an autobiography; and various translations from Chinese. See her entry on the Cornwall Artists Index for further information.