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Eliza for Common
The domestic chronicles of a minister's family that bears a remarkable resemblance to the Buchans themselves, Eliza for Common is set in Glasgow just after the Great War. As Eliza grows up she longs for beauty and excitement, and gradually emerges from the confines of being a daughter of the manse to find her own way in the world...
First published January 1, 1928
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About the author
O. Douglas
46 books69 followersBorn Anna Masterton Buchan, younger sister to the statesman & prolific novelist John Buchan. She began writing in 1911, and published 12 novels and a personal memoir of her brother before her death. Her novels are humorous domestic fiction, focusing on the lives of families in Scotland. Her autobiography was published posthumously, in 1960.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 25, 2022
I’ve wanted to read O. Douglas for ages. It finally occurred to me to request one via inter-library loan. The book came quickly—all the way from Connecticut!—and it’s so fragile it was held together by a rubber band. I’m so grateful for this library all the way across the country for entrusting this book to me.
This novel had a slow start for me but once I got into the rhythms of the Laidlaw manse in 1920s Glasgow, I was hooked! I loved this story and the characters. I love Jim and Eliza’s friendship. I love Eliza’s growth over the course of the story and how her world slowly gets bigger as she comes of age. I love the Laidlaw parents and the wonderfully warm home they create for their children and their children’s friends. Think of all the bookish families you love (the March family, the Melendys, Noel Streatfeild’s families, etc.) and add the Laidlaws to the list. I’d say this book was frequently a five-star read for me, especially in the long middle section. The end was fitting but the story ends as the children are getting ready to be on their own, so it has a poignancy that made me as sad as Mrs. Laidlaw about the family dynamics changing. It’s hopeful change, but change nonetheless.
I am hoping and praying that some good-souled publisher will reprint O. Douglas’s novels. I would love to re-read this and would even use my precious two-a-month inter-library loan requests to do so. (But how much better to own a copy!)
This novel had a slow start for me but once I got into the rhythms of the Laidlaw manse in 1920s Glasgow, I was hooked! I loved this story and the characters. I love Jim and Eliza’s friendship. I love Eliza’s growth over the course of the story and how her world slowly gets bigger as she comes of age. I love the Laidlaw parents and the wonderfully warm home they create for their children and their children’s friends. Think of all the bookish families you love (the March family, the Melendys, Noel Streatfeild’s families, etc.) and add the Laidlaws to the list. I’d say this book was frequently a five-star read for me, especially in the long middle section. The end was fitting but the story ends as the children are getting ready to be on their own, so it has a poignancy that made me as sad as Mrs. Laidlaw about the family dynamics changing. It’s hopeful change, but change nonetheless.
I am hoping and praying that some good-souled publisher will reprint O. Douglas’s novels. I would love to re-read this and would even use my precious two-a-month inter-library loan requests to do so. (But how much better to own a copy!)
April 28, 2024
It must be splendidly worth while to write something that is so true and beautiful that it can't die so long as someone needs comfort.
I loved this sweet domestic novel about how a family experiences their children growing up. I loved the details and homeliness and vivid, realistic characters. (If I haven't been both Mrs. Laidlaw and Eliza!) Really a charming story with a sweet, satisfying ending. I loved Eliza's trips to Oxford. Such a delight to see it through her eyes. The Scottishness was pleasant and I enjoyed the representation of a minister's family and their experience with urban ministry. Katie was a real treasure and the one I was rooting for until the end!
O. Douglas (Anna Masterton Buchan) is new to me, and I am heartily glad that several of her novels are available for pennies as ebooks. It would be lovely for some publisher (Scottish perhaps?) to reprint them. This one read well in the twenty-first century and preserves the interwar culture.
I loved this sweet domestic novel about how a family experiences their children growing up. I loved the details and homeliness and vivid, realistic characters. (If I haven't been both Mrs. Laidlaw and Eliza!) Really a charming story with a sweet, satisfying ending. I loved Eliza's trips to Oxford. Such a delight to see it through her eyes. The Scottishness was pleasant and I enjoyed the representation of a minister's family and their experience with urban ministry. Katie was a real treasure and the one I was rooting for until the end!
O. Douglas (Anna Masterton Buchan) is new to me, and I am heartily glad that several of her novels are available for pennies as ebooks. It would be lovely for some publisher (Scottish perhaps?) to reprint them. This one read well in the twenty-first century and preserves the interwar culture.
October 3, 2025
A pleasant enough read, with practically no plot. Not quite as good as Taken by the Hand or The House That Is Our Own.
June 14, 2020
Her book was a long tranquil, domestic story, the kind one can sink into, and she felt as if she had been sitting there from the beginning of time. A perfect description of this book!
It was pure pleasure to re-read this gentle story that I so relate with. A minister's daughter [√], who loves to read [√], and who adores her older brother Jimmie studying at Oxford [√ my Jimmy was at Yale] trying to become independent but not rebellious [√]. The familial camaraderie, which also includes irritating episodes, is winsome and wonderful.
Chapter 11 is gold. After nursing the entire family through "the prevailing influenza" Mrs. Laidlaw falls ill herself and takes to bed. It is a study of sickness and depression. Plus, the author uses the word hirpled which I've only ever seen in Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.
For decades this was a description of me: she was a poor housekeeper, energetic in spasms, but lacking in method.
4.5 stars because a romantic relationship is tacked on the end without any development.
It was pure pleasure to re-read this gentle story that I so relate with. A minister's daughter [√], who loves to read [√], and who adores her older brother Jimmie studying at Oxford [√ my Jimmy was at Yale] trying to become independent but not rebellious [√]. The familial camaraderie, which also includes irritating episodes, is winsome and wonderful.
Chapter 11 is gold. After nursing the entire family through "the prevailing influenza" Mrs. Laidlaw falls ill herself and takes to bed. It is a study of sickness and depression. Plus, the author uses the word hirpled which I've only ever seen in Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.
For decades this was a description of me: she was a poor housekeeper, energetic in spasms, but lacking in method.
4.5 stars because a romantic relationship is tacked on the end without any development.
May 16, 2022
4.5🌟 One of the most comforting books I've ever read! This story about the Laidlaw family felt very similar to Noel Streatfeild's 'The Bell Family'. Although one takes place at The Martyrs of Glasgow in Scotland and the other at St. Mark's in England, they both had many themes in common, such as church activities, entertaining visitors, and children growing up.
Even though Eliza is perhaps my least favorite character of the family, her character is true to form for someone her age. She is self-centered, unappreciative, and somewhat lazy. But, I was hopeful for her character towards the end of the book. Walter, the minister father, and Katie, a semi-relative and friend of the family, were two of my favorite characters.
The domestic details in this book are divine. I loved the descriptions of the home, the kitchen, the food, and the clothing. The conversations are so lively and entertaining, too! The only setback I had was trying to read through the Scottish dialect. Some of the conversations had me baffled and I wished there were footnotes or translations for certain phrases or terms.
Other than that, I adored this book and I can't wait to read more of O. Douglas! I've just realized how much I enjoy Scottish writers or books that take place in Scotland.
Even though Eliza is perhaps my least favorite character of the family, her character is true to form for someone her age. She is self-centered, unappreciative, and somewhat lazy. But, I was hopeful for her character towards the end of the book. Walter, the minister father, and Katie, a semi-relative and friend of the family, were two of my favorite characters.
The domestic details in this book are divine. I loved the descriptions of the home, the kitchen, the food, and the clothing. The conversations are so lively and entertaining, too! The only setback I had was trying to read through the Scottish dialect. Some of the conversations had me baffled and I wished there were footnotes or translations for certain phrases or terms.
Other than that, I adored this book and I can't wait to read more of O. Douglas! I've just realized how much I enjoy Scottish writers or books that take place in Scotland.
October 28, 2022
It took me a while to warm up to this book since it seemed more like a compilation of vignettes than a cohesive story. But I came to love Eliza and her family as they faced life’s challenges – sometimes with aplomb and sometimes with realistic discouragement.
Eliza is a poor pastor’s daughter growing up in Glascow, Scotland just after World War I. She dreams of a more interesting life and even gives herself a name in this imaginary world (“Lisa”) which explains the title of the book. In her regular life she’s just Eliza. I enjoyed watching her grow in her understanding of her true identity.
The constant literary references that Buchan makes are always a delight. Eliza loves Shakespeare and there are references to Ben Johnson, Charles Lamb, the Bible, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott. I found it interesting that Buchan also mentions quite a few novels of Scottish fiction that were popular at that time. (Java Head by Hergesheimer, sentimental novels by Ian MacLaren, Flemington by Violet Jacob, The Long Pack by Joseph Crawhall, The Brownie of Bodsbeck by James Hogg, The Wood of the Brambles by Frank James Matthew, Rab and His Friends by John Brown, and Dream Days by Kenneth Grahame)
I love “a word fitly spoken” so the Scottish phrases were a lot of fun. A linn is a waterfall; a frowst is a stuffy person; to be “donnert” is to be dazed. And if something is “gimcrack” it is poorly made, but deceptively attractive.
Eliza is a poor pastor’s daughter growing up in Glascow, Scotland just after World War I. She dreams of a more interesting life and even gives herself a name in this imaginary world (“Lisa”) which explains the title of the book. In her regular life she’s just Eliza. I enjoyed watching her grow in her understanding of her true identity.
The constant literary references that Buchan makes are always a delight. Eliza loves Shakespeare and there are references to Ben Johnson, Charles Lamb, the Bible, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott. I found it interesting that Buchan also mentions quite a few novels of Scottish fiction that were popular at that time. (Java Head by Hergesheimer, sentimental novels by Ian MacLaren, Flemington by Violet Jacob, The Long Pack by Joseph Crawhall, The Brownie of Bodsbeck by James Hogg, The Wood of the Brambles by Frank James Matthew, Rab and His Friends by John Brown, and Dream Days by Kenneth Grahame)
I love “a word fitly spoken” so the Scottish phrases were a lot of fun. A linn is a waterfall; a frowst is a stuffy person; to be “donnert” is to be dazed. And if something is “gimcrack” it is poorly made, but deceptively attractive.
April 25, 2023
Eliza for Common is the sweet story of the family of a minister in Glasglow in the early 20th century. It was interesting to read the story of their family life as the children start to get older and spread their wings. The bits of humor sprinkled in were my favorite parts, but the entire book is a balm to the soul, the beauty of a simpler life surrounded by those you love.
August 8, 2023
Old Fashioned Chic Lit set in Glasgow and London
If you like old fashioned women's fiction like Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, but you also love the British Isles then you might like to try Eliza For Common. It's a coming of age story set in the 1920s, about Eliza a ministers daughter. But the cast of this tale is large and varied, and some of the best parts are the very small ones!
If you like old fashioned women's fiction like Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, but you also love the British Isles then you might like to try Eliza For Common. It's a coming of age story set in the 1920s, about Eliza a ministers daughter. But the cast of this tale is large and varied, and some of the best parts are the very small ones!
September 12, 2023
"Eliza hated her name. 'It's a name that simply asks to be made fun of. I'm going to "Lisa",' she declared. 'Lisa for best and Eliza for common?' her father teased.
"Eliza is a true minister's daughter, involved in the usual good works, but she can be high spirited at times. Unhappily, when her mother is taken ill, the full responsibility of the household falls upon her, which she finds more than a little daunting. Her brother Jim warns her agains5 becoming a drudge at only 19, but Eliza seems resigned.
"This is a charming family story with a Scottish background told with warmth and humor."
~~back cover
It's very obvious that this book was written in the first quarter of the 20th Century -- it could never be written today, unless as historical fiction. There isn't much plot: the story revolves around Eliza and how much she loved her big brother, and how she tried to please him. And of course there was her daily round of being a minister's daughter, to a mother who was so totally a minister's wife that it subsumed her entire personality.
Not much happened for most of the book, with the exception of Eliza's mother getting ill and Eliza "manfully" stepping into the breach. Towards the end, Eliza and her mother travel to London to visit relatives, and Eliza's world begins to broaden, assisted by her brother introducing her to Oxford and his mates.
It's a very cozy book for all that, an enjoyable afternoon with tea by the fire -- a window into a forgotten time that many are nostalgic for, a simpler time, with one's duty and one's philosophy laid out for one by the society.
"Eliza is a true minister's daughter, involved in the usual good works, but she can be high spirited at times. Unhappily, when her mother is taken ill, the full responsibility of the household falls upon her, which she finds more than a little daunting. Her brother Jim warns her agains5 becoming a drudge at only 19, but Eliza seems resigned.
"This is a charming family story with a Scottish background told with warmth and humor."
~~back cover
It's very obvious that this book was written in the first quarter of the 20th Century -- it could never be written today, unless as historical fiction. There isn't much plot: the story revolves around Eliza and how much she loved her big brother, and how she tried to please him. And of course there was her daily round of being a minister's daughter, to a mother who was so totally a minister's wife that it subsumed her entire personality.
Not much happened for most of the book, with the exception of Eliza's mother getting ill and Eliza "manfully" stepping into the breach. Towards the end, Eliza and her mother travel to London to visit relatives, and Eliza's world begins to broaden, assisted by her brother introducing her to Oxford and his mates.
It's a very cozy book for all that, an enjoyable afternoon with tea by the fire -- a window into a forgotten time that many are nostalgic for, a simpler time, with one's duty and one's philosophy laid out for one by the society.
February 4, 2023
What a lovely book! Eliza is a young woman quite sure of herself, her place in the world and her opinion. Though never truly unkind, she's sometimes a little thoughtless due to her inexperience. However as she matures, and her horizons broaden, things begin to shift not only in her world but in her mind and heart as well.
Another wonderful novel from Douglas. Highly recommended. 5 stars
Another wonderful novel from Douglas. Highly recommended. 5 stars
July 5, 2021
Another little-known author who should be more widely read. This book is a gem with realistic and memorable characters (I adored Mr. and Mrs. Laidlaw in particular), humor, and a touch of romance. I came away with a greater appreciation for the simple joys in life and the blessing of good (while always imperfect) family relationships. Don’t read this book if you’re looking for plot-driven action, but if you need a break from the 21st century and a cozy read with characters and situations that are still very real and relevant today, give it a go. It was just what I needed right now and I loved it.
September 18, 2023
Written in 1928, this is an engrossing story of a minister's family in Glasgow. Eliza is the daughter and second oldest child. As the story begins, she is about 14 years old. We learn so much "new" vocabulary and how people lived during these times. She is Eliza, but she finds that to be common and not exotic, so she wants to be called Lisa. (My daughter is named Eliza. She sees the two names in just the opposite way. And really likes her name.) Life goes on and things change and everyone adjusts.
Another personal note: at least two women /girls are named Isa in this story. My maternal grandmother was Isa. She was also of Scots-Irish heritage. However, when I researched the name I found only Arabic and German definitions.
Another personal note: at least two women /girls are named Isa in this story. My maternal grandmother was Isa. She was also of Scots-Irish heritage. However, when I researched the name I found only Arabic and German definitions.
October 29, 2021
Written by Anna Buchan the sister of John Buchan under her pen name O Douglas. I picked up my copy of her book in Peebles at a museum about the life of her famous brother. It’s an old fashioned story about Eliza and her family in Glasgow set just after the First World War , it’s a rather satisfying read for a day when all you want to do is drink coffee and stay warm indoors .
January 18, 2022
I do adore these between the wars books
I will likely read this one again. I am sad that I am not well read enough to drop appropriate songs and quotes into my writing.
It is lovely to wonder almost right till the end who should we have been looking at with love.
Also Eliza is one of my favorite protagonists- not perfectly anything but sensible and yet romantic .
I will likely read this one again. I am sad that I am not well read enough to drop appropriate songs and quotes into my writing.
It is lovely to wonder almost right till the end who should we have been looking at with love.
Also Eliza is one of my favorite protagonists- not perfectly anything but sensible and yet romantic .
April 1, 2024
This is the daily life of a Presbyterisn minister's daughter in early 20th c. Glasgow.
Now, O. Douglas is known for detailed stories of ordinary life, which this is, and not for plot. However, one expects SOME effort at a plot. And the unconvincing romances tacked on in the final chapters just don't cut it.
Now, O. Douglas is known for detailed stories of ordinary life, which this is, and not for plot. However, one expects SOME effort at a plot. And the unconvincing romances tacked on in the final chapters just don't cut it.
November 4, 2020
I struggled with this for what seemed an age, but half way through I seemed to click and enjoyed it. Gentle, descriptive story. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, somehow didn't seem very nuanced.
October 14, 2024
I found my own story told here!
Real life with real values unfold in the life of a simple family. Relationship with God and others enriching the story line that mirrors many parts of my own life journey.
Real life with real values unfold in the life of a simple family. Relationship with God and others enriching the story line that mirrors many parts of my own life journey.
April 12, 2023
A gentle domestic story about Eliza, a poor Scottish minister’s daughter. The portrait of the family is charming and authentic, and I enjoyed following the seasons of their lives.
November 3, 2016
Loved this vintage novel set in Glasgow and it's gentle atmosphere, darling family, and descriptions of a 1920's minister's family.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews