Out of This Nettle

by Norah Lofts

His name was Colin Lowrie. A tall, red-haired Scot; a man at 16, whose pride was the ancient clan pride of the Lowries. And when the clans were broken—massacred in a brutal revenge at Culloden Field—Colin Lowrie was forced to take flight on a journey half-way round the world. A journey to a barbaric slave plantation in the West Indies, then on to New Orleans and a life of lust and debauchery—and to a strange eerie love affair with an eccentric heiress... And always, wherever destiny or chance took the young Scottish rebel, he carried with him the dream of Braidlowrie—Braidlowrie, the home of the Lowries—the home from which he was forever exiled...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Norah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.

Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.

Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.

Reviews

[Werner]

In keeping with my usual policy for dealing with books I didn't finish, I'm not rating or reviewing this one; this brief comment is made only to provide an explanation as to why I didn't finish. Mostly set in the West Indies, this is a very grim depiction of slave life in the 1700s (and not only blacks were slaves; considerable numbers of Scots who fought for the Jacobite cause in 1715 and 1745 shared that fate), with some other sordid plot elements. The bleakness of the narrative wasn't a plus, but it wasn't the deal-breaker; that was an action by the protagonist, which alienated me from him completely. He murdered his newborn child by a slave woman, and then passed it off to the heartbroken mother as a natural death. I can accept quite a few flaws in a protagonist, and still like and even identify with him/her (after all, I'm flawed myself); but a few things are beyond the pale, and for me that was one of them.

Lofts went on to produce a considerable body of historical fiction that I've liked (though there's much I still haven't read), and I count myself a fan of her work. In fairness, this is one of her earliest novels, written (I think) before she fully matured in her craft.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not one of my favorite NL books. It was a nice read though.

[Mizloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very old, very clever, very engaging narrative of a Scottish lad who wars against the English, is captured and sold into slavery, escapes and becomes a planter in Virginia. Far from a traditional romance, the ladies in this life are a slave woman, a barmaid and a bi-polar plantation owner. Historically accurate and a quick, entertaining read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical romance.