Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, c1972
Description
In the autumn of 1817, the arrival of the Ipswich coach and its occupants - a strange, ill-assorted company - changed the lives of those who lived at the Fleece Inn forever... Will Oakley, landlord and host, with his two daughters, beautiful Myrtle, and the repellent Harriet, waited to receive his guests. Along with the usual farmers, merchants and the "quality", there were others who fitted into none of these categories. Like the handsome foreigner with the scarred face, and the fat man who appeared to be gloating over some malicious secret of his own...
User reviews
LibraryThing member moonshineandrosefire
On a particularly chilly morning in the autumn of 1817, Will Oakley - the proprietor of a roadside inn called 'The Fleece' - is just beginning his day. He is a forty-four-year-old widower; the father of two fully-grown daughters - Myrtle and Harriet - who also help their father run the inn. When a
Despite his hospitable position of landlord, Will Oakley is a quiet, secretive man. He is seen by others as being slightly standoffish, but he is actually a man who is more than what he seems; a man with a past that he has kept carefully hidden. Jonathan Smail has recently arrived at 'The Fleece', and is delighted to have become reacquainted with his old friend, Will. He knows all about Will's deepest, darkest secrets actually, and is quite willing to make his good friend pay...by any means necessary.
Myrtle is Will's older daughter. She is a beautiful, generous, and bright-spirited soul - pleasant and witty, and hopelessly in love with a man she can never have. Roger Moreton is young, aristocratic and careless. He may love Myrtle, but a simple innkeeper's daughter would never do for a marriage proposal. Roger sought a wealthy wife to pay his debts.
Harriet, Will's younger daughter, is practical and level-headed; so different from her sister, Myrtle. She may not be as vivacious or as winsome as her sister - she is certainly no beauty - yet she is far more courageous than many people would expect.
I have to say that as surprising as it may seem, this is one of the very few novels by Norah Lofts that I haven't read before. In my opinion, it seemed slightly different from her typical writing style, but I couldn't quite pin down why. The story was beautifully written and well-developed, and as with the majority of Ms. Lofts' work, she has completely captured the time period.
Personally, I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story, but once I did, I was completely swept away by Ms. Lofts - as usual. I will certainly be keeping this book to read again; but I give this book a full-fledged A+!
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coach from Ipswich arrives at 'The Fleece', the Oakley family and their servants have absolutely no idea how much their lives will forever be altered by meeting its passengers. A strange, motley company of individuals is discharged from the Ipswich coach and each person within that group has the potential to irrevocably change the lives of everyone who calls 'The Fleece' their home.Despite his hospitable position of landlord, Will Oakley is a quiet, secretive man. He is seen by others as being slightly standoffish, but he is actually a man who is more than what he seems; a man with a past that he has kept carefully hidden. Jonathan Smail has recently arrived at 'The Fleece', and is delighted to have become reacquainted with his old friend, Will. He knows all about Will's deepest, darkest secrets actually, and is quite willing to make his good friend pay...by any means necessary.
Myrtle is Will's older daughter. She is a beautiful, generous, and bright-spirited soul - pleasant and witty, and hopelessly in love with a man she can never have. Roger Moreton is young, aristocratic and careless. He may love Myrtle, but a simple innkeeper's daughter would never do for a marriage proposal. Roger sought a wealthy wife to pay his debts.
Harriet, Will's younger daughter, is practical and level-headed; so different from her sister, Myrtle. She may not be as vivacious or as winsome as her sister - she is certainly no beauty - yet she is far more courageous than many people would expect.
I have to say that as surprising as it may seem, this is one of the very few novels by Norah Lofts that I haven't read before. In my opinion, it seemed slightly different from her typical writing style, but I couldn't quite pin down why. The story was beautifully written and well-developed, and as with the majority of Ms. Lofts' work, she has completely captured the time period.
Personally, I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story, but once I did, I was completely swept away by Ms. Lofts - as usual. I will certainly be keeping this book to read again; but I give this book a full-fledged A+!
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1943
Physical description
238 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
0449231321 / 9780449231326