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Kate Hardy
Old Quinings is a typically quiet and charming English village. But Kate Hardy, a successful young writer, soon finds a world of rivalries beneath the surface calm.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
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356 people want to read
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
69 books645 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
September 10, 2025
Kate Hardy is a writer. She has been living in a flat in the city, with a sister and niece who pretty much sponge upon her, and she decides to buy a Dower House on the Morven estate in Old Quinings. The country is the right place for a writer, right? Peace and quiet and time to think? Of course, we know from the outset that life in Old Quinings is going to be more interesting than anything she has encountered before.
There is a bit of a mystery she needs to solve, a wizened old codger who installs himself as her gardener, a couple of almost-eligible men to banter and flirt with, and a little girl who needs direction and security. Kate is just the woman for the job…well, for all of the jobs.
I enjoyed this little break from my world and the chance to disappear into Kate’s. Romance is not my genre, and while this has romance, it was appealing, like Darcy and Elizabeth, not off-putting, like…well, like the ones I don’t read. For starters, Stevenson knows the difference between love and sexual attraction. I find many writers do not.
She felt him reach through her to something inside herself which until now had never been touched. The “something” was herself. It was what she meant when she said “I”. It was her inmost being. Nobody had ever got there before, nobody had ever aroused in her that feeling of spiritual kinship.
Might sound soapy, but this is exactly what I felt about my husband when we first met and spent time together. The feeling that we were connected at the level of who we were never passed. Needless to say, I loved this paragraph.
I am going directly into another Stevenson book from this one. I don’t generally do that, but it seems to have worked out that way, and I am excited to spend more time in a world that is sweet, kind and funny. Can’t actually have too much of that when it is done well, can we?
There is a bit of a mystery she needs to solve, a wizened old codger who installs himself as her gardener, a couple of almost-eligible men to banter and flirt with, and a little girl who needs direction and security. Kate is just the woman for the job…well, for all of the jobs.
I enjoyed this little break from my world and the chance to disappear into Kate’s. Romance is not my genre, and while this has romance, it was appealing, like Darcy and Elizabeth, not off-putting, like…well, like the ones I don’t read. For starters, Stevenson knows the difference between love and sexual attraction. I find many writers do not.
She felt him reach through her to something inside herself which until now had never been touched. The “something” was herself. It was what she meant when she said “I”. It was her inmost being. Nobody had ever got there before, nobody had ever aroused in her that feeling of spiritual kinship.
Might sound soapy, but this is exactly what I felt about my husband when we first met and spent time together. The feeling that we were connected at the level of who we were never passed. Needless to say, I loved this paragraph.
I am going directly into another Stevenson book from this one. I don’t generally do that, but it seems to have worked out that way, and I am excited to spend more time in a world that is sweet, kind and funny. Can’t actually have too much of that when it is done well, can we?
January 17, 2022
The story is set in the early fifties in a quiet village in England. The Dower House belonging to the Morven estate has been sold to the attractive, thirty-ish Miss Kate Hardy. Kate Hardy, a successful novelist, has spent the war years in London, cooped up in an apartment with her selfish cousin and frivolous niece. She is now looking forward to fresh air and peace and quiet. But soon she becomes involved in various village dramas : who has been writing anonymous letters? Will her neighbor, Richard Morven, divorce his long-absent wife, and if so, what will become of the daughter he hasn't seen in years? And what should be done about Walter Stack, the village own war hero? This young man of humble origin, who attained a position of leadership during the war, is stubbornly trying to return to his former life as a carpenter, but is forced to accept that his war experiences have made that impossible. Kate Hardy finds herself torn between two attractive men.. who will she choose?
This is a nice novel for a rainy afternoon. Kate Hardy is the kind of cheerful, competent young woman we'd all like as a friend. We root for her as she disentangles herself from her sister's suffocating hold and creates her new life in the village of her dreams. Still, there are some deeper themes here. In Walter Stack, the author touches on the theme of social mobility, and how the war was a great equalizer in that respect. Some village folks find it shocking that Walter, the son of a former nanny, could meet on equal footing with the gentry. Others feel that everyone should be given scope to use his talents, regardless of the social class of their birth. All of this seems self-evident now, but was still somewhat controversial in England in the 1950s.
This is a nice novel for a rainy afternoon. Kate Hardy is the kind of cheerful, competent young woman we'd all like as a friend. We root for her as she disentangles herself from her sister's suffocating hold and creates her new life in the village of her dreams. Still, there are some deeper themes here. In Walter Stack, the author touches on the theme of social mobility, and how the war was a great equalizer in that respect. Some village folks find it shocking that Walter, the son of a former nanny, could meet on equal footing with the gentry. Others feel that everyone should be given scope to use his talents, regardless of the social class of their birth. All of this seems self-evident now, but was still somewhat controversial in England in the 1950s.
March 10, 2026
I must start this review by stating that I think any D.E. Stevenson book is better than most other books and I am glad that I spent time in Kate Hardy's world. That being said, this isn't one of my favorites of hers. While I liked Kate, I found too many of the supporting characters to be unlikeable and one aspect of the story involving a young girl to feel very strange. Add in some allusions to witchcraft, multiple characters receiving poison pen letters, and a relatively lackluster love triangle and this felt like a few too many plotlines for such a slim read.
If you are a die-hard DES fan as I am, be sure to give this one a read but if you've never read her before, please don't start here!
If you are a die-hard DES fan as I am, be sure to give this one a read but if you've never read her before, please don't start here!
March 27, 2025
Even though I’d had this book on my shelf for years, I’d heard it was an unusual DES so I didn’t rush to pick it up. But now I’m trying to finish DES’s whole canon. This is full of DES’s excellent and vivid characterization and her ability to make village life both attractive and very human. Kate is a wonderful character. Fortunately, we didn’t get too much of Kate’s weak, limpet-like older sister. There are many interesting relational dynamics at play in the story and some favorite DES tropes but she is so good at making them feel new and engaging. I like the romance and wish there was a sequel. I want to know where they end up living and what they end up doing. I like that Kate herself is an author. I imagine DES gives Kate her own thoughts about being attached to her characters. This was easy and fun to read and I’ll definitely reread it. I don’t think it will rank as a favorite though. I think there were slightly more unpleasant characters than the ones I really loved, like Mrs Stack. Also I think there is a trifle too much happening in the plot. It’s deftly handled but a little cluttered.
March 12, 2026
The first book in our #BuncleAndBeyond readalong for March, April and May! I was so excited to partner up with Niki (@nikilovestoread on Instagram) and Sabine (@sabines.literary.world) in hosting this evening to celebrate our love of D.E. Stevenson!
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
💚 Kate's confidence, talent and clear-headedness
💚 Walter's solid presence, stability, responsibility and thoughtfulness
💚 The lovely Dower House—I wish there were illustrations to show the inside! I want to live there!
💚 Crabby, but reliable and loyal Martha
💚 Charming and helpful Mrs. Stark
WHAT DROVE ME CRAZY:
❊ Kate's self-centered and manipulative sister, Milly
❊ Her spoiled and selfish niece, Minty
❊ The slightly unsettling feeling of the country village of Old Quinings
❊ Two people who I wanted to end up together did not 😢
With the added bonus of Kate's career as a writer, lots of cozy descriptions of moving into the Dower House and some lovely (I wish they were my friends) characters, this D.E. Stevenson title was a fantastic read. It wasn't a 5 star for me, but I still really liked it. But, what I loved most was the small autobiographical section at the end in DES's own words! It was like reading a letter that she wrote to me and I absolutely fell even more into a fangirl feeling for DES!! 😍❤️
Victoria from Dean Street Press Ltd. mentioned that fans of DES are called "Dessies" and I'm proud to give myself this label. Are you a "Dessie", too?
P.S. This is my favorite excerpt written in the autobiographical sketch section: "I write all my books in longhand, lying on a sofa near the window in my drawing room. I begin by thinking it all out and then I take a pencil and jot it all down in a notebook. When that stage is over I begin at the beginning and go on like mad until I get to the end. After that I have a little rest and then polish it up and rewrite bits of it. When I can do no more to it I pack it up, smother the parcel with sealing wax, and despatch it to be typed. I am now free as air and somewhat dazed, so I ring up all my friends (who have been neglected for months) and say, "Come and have a party.'"
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
💚 Kate's confidence, talent and clear-headedness
💚 Walter's solid presence, stability, responsibility and thoughtfulness
💚 The lovely Dower House—I wish there were illustrations to show the inside! I want to live there!
💚 Crabby, but reliable and loyal Martha
💚 Charming and helpful Mrs. Stark
WHAT DROVE ME CRAZY:
❊ Kate's self-centered and manipulative sister, Milly
❊ Her spoiled and selfish niece, Minty
❊ The slightly unsettling feeling of the country village of Old Quinings
❊ Two people who I wanted to end up together did not 😢
With the added bonus of Kate's career as a writer, lots of cozy descriptions of moving into the Dower House and some lovely (I wish they were my friends) characters, this D.E. Stevenson title was a fantastic read. It wasn't a 5 star for me, but I still really liked it. But, what I loved most was the small autobiographical section at the end in DES's own words! It was like reading a letter that she wrote to me and I absolutely fell even more into a fangirl feeling for DES!! 😍❤️
Victoria from Dean Street Press Ltd. mentioned that fans of DES are called "Dessies" and I'm proud to give myself this label. Are you a "Dessie", too?
P.S. This is my favorite excerpt written in the autobiographical sketch section: "I write all my books in longhand, lying on a sofa near the window in my drawing room. I begin by thinking it all out and then I take a pencil and jot it all down in a notebook. When that stage is over I begin at the beginning and go on like mad until I get to the end. After that I have a little rest and then polish it up and rewrite bits of it. When I can do no more to it I pack it up, smother the parcel with sealing wax, and despatch it to be typed. I am now free as air and somewhat dazed, so I ring up all my friends (who have been neglected for months) and say, "Come and have a party.'"
November 3, 2022
A delightful escape into a simpler world with a smart and savvy lead character, Kate Hardy, and the interesting and, sometimes mischievous, characters she encounters when she moves from London to a small country village. Ms. Stevenson writes in an engaging style that is a comfort to the reader. Cheers!
July 21, 2022
A charming, light read that gave me a needed break from some heavier books.
April 9, 2025
I was so enthralled with "The Young Clementina" that when I found this old hardcover at a library sale, I was thrilled to pick up yet another DE Stevenson book.
Kate Hardy is clever and she has to be; she is a famous author and the creator of the fearless Stephen Slade. Everyone loves her books (although she writes under an assumed name), and Kate's earnings permit her to buy the Dower House and settle in the village of Old Quinings. Here she is beset by neighbors and small intrigues that don't allow her as much free time to write as she wishes.
"Kate went into the morning-room and sat down at her desk. She began to think about Stephen. It was not easy to get back into the atmosphere of her book after the excitements of the last few days, but she made a determined effort, and was just beginning to rekindle the flame when Martha looked in.
'Miss Kate,' said Martha, "I thought I'd just catch you before you started. Walter Stack has come. Did you want him to make shelves in the attic?"
Kate is able to solve the mystery of the author of some poison pen letters and encourage a new friend, a returned decorated World War 2 hero, to find stability after returning home from the war. There are old superstitions to be confronted in the unsavory character of Abijah Rannish and in between, Kate brings solace to a local schoolteacher, Miss Carlyle. The unconventional circumstances of Richard Morven and his marraige allows Kate the opportunity to befriend his unusual daughter Susan.
"Susan had read all the Slade Books now and she assured their author that they were very good indeed.
"There's no silly love business," explained Susan. "I hate love, don't you?"
Kate was not shocked by this unchristian sentiment; she knew what Susan meant and was inclined to agree with her - or at least to sympathise. Too much love-interest in novels was apt to be a little cloying."
D.E. Stevenson always portrays life in a small English village so realistically and although not my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed reading this one and becoming familiar with some of the characters (the formidable Miss Crease for one). If Kate does seem a little too perfect to be absolutely genuine, her story was still a pleasant read.
Kate Hardy is clever and she has to be; she is a famous author and the creator of the fearless Stephen Slade. Everyone loves her books (although she writes under an assumed name), and Kate's earnings permit her to buy the Dower House and settle in the village of Old Quinings. Here she is beset by neighbors and small intrigues that don't allow her as much free time to write as she wishes.
"Kate went into the morning-room and sat down at her desk. She began to think about Stephen. It was not easy to get back into the atmosphere of her book after the excitements of the last few days, but she made a determined effort, and was just beginning to rekindle the flame when Martha looked in.
'Miss Kate,' said Martha, "I thought I'd just catch you before you started. Walter Stack has come. Did you want him to make shelves in the attic?"
Kate is able to solve the mystery of the author of some poison pen letters and encourage a new friend, a returned decorated World War 2 hero, to find stability after returning home from the war. There are old superstitions to be confronted in the unsavory character of Abijah Rannish and in between, Kate brings solace to a local schoolteacher, Miss Carlyle. The unconventional circumstances of Richard Morven and his marraige allows Kate the opportunity to befriend his unusual daughter Susan.
"Susan had read all the Slade Books now and she assured their author that they were very good indeed.
"There's no silly love business," explained Susan. "I hate love, don't you?"
Kate was not shocked by this unchristian sentiment; she knew what Susan meant and was inclined to agree with her - or at least to sympathise. Too much love-interest in novels was apt to be a little cloying."
D.E. Stevenson always portrays life in a small English village so realistically and although not my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed reading this one and becoming familiar with some of the characters (the formidable Miss Crease for one). If Kate does seem a little too perfect to be absolutely genuine, her story was still a pleasant read.
March 13, 2013
3/13/13:
Definitely not one of my favorite D.E. Stevenson books. But it made me want to go re-read Mrs. Tim Flies Home , which also takes place in Old Quinings with some of the same people. It is MUCH better. And of course I can't start on the last Mrs. Tim book, so I'll have to re-read all of them. Love me some Mrs. Tim!
3/12/13: What bliss - a D.E. Stevenson book that I haven't read! There aren't many left out there. Please don't bother me until I finish.
Definitely not one of my favorite D.E. Stevenson books. But it made me want to go re-read Mrs. Tim Flies Home , which also takes place in Old Quinings with some of the same people. It is MUCH better. And of course I can't start on the last Mrs. Tim book, so I'll have to re-read all of them. Love me some Mrs. Tim!
3/12/13: What bliss - a D.E. Stevenson book that I haven't read! There aren't many left out there. Please don't bother me until I finish.
May 27, 2014
A few weird parts because of superstitious villagers. Not D.E. Stevenson's best, but easy light reading.
May 29, 2022
Maybe 3.5
March 21, 2026
It's been far too long since I read one of D. E. Stevenson's books. Luckily for me, Kate Hardy was the perfect book to pick up next. I absolutely loved it! Kate is a wonderful character, and I love the Stevenson made her be an author. It was a fun peek into Stevenson's own thoughts about her writing process. There were some other really fun characters. I especially loved Mrs. Stack and Walter. As a returning war hero, Walter finds it difficult to settle back into his old life. He's no longer the person he once was while those around him have remained the same. There were some unlikeable characters thrown into the story, but Kate's very intuitive when it comes to dealing with other people. It was interesting to see how she dealt with them.
September 4, 2022
This worked out perfectly for an undemanding, before sleep read.
I liked Kate as a character, but found many of the other characters one dimensional or just tiresome.
I liked Kate as a character, but found many of the other characters one dimensional or just tiresome.
January 19, 2016
Kate Hardy buys a country house unseen and makes her move from London to the dull quiet life so she can continue writing her popular hero-action books. Yet, life in the country is far from dull. Strange letters, neighborhood soap operas, tangled romances, and irritating relatives visiting interrupt Kate's solitude. And she doesn't mind one iota.
A thoroughly likable plot and heroine, the book would have garnered five stars except for the ending. DES is terrible about her loose endings. Everything comes crashing to a big finale but she tends to leave loose bits trailing in the breeze. My hope is that Kate Hardy continues on in another book.
A thoroughly likable plot and heroine, the book would have garnered five stars except for the ending. DES is terrible about her loose endings. Everything comes crashing to a big finale but she tends to leave loose bits trailing in the breeze. My hope is that Kate Hardy continues on in another book.
May 28, 2010
This book is a completely independent sequel to Celia's House. I liked it better than Celia's House because there is more detail and the subplots were also entertaining. Kate Hardy moved to the same small village to escape her evil relations. She is an accomplished writer and successful career woman in spite of the just finished war. I found her character engaging and enjoyed the little mysteries of life that she solved although they are quite predictable and solvable by the reader.
March 28, 2022
Not the best but 3.5 *
May 30, 2023
A frothy delight, exactly as I expect from D.E. Stevenson. There's a charming heroine surrounded by a good mix of fellow lovely characters and characters you’re not allowed to judge too harshly because they can't overcome their essential flawed nature, an evocative rural setting, some interesting contemporaneous insight into shifting post-war mores, one or two bits of jarring period-typical prejudice (here mainly class based but also some racist language about Japanese people), one or two touching tracts about human nature, very few actual obstacles to the protagonists’ happiness, and all of a sudden it's over far too quickly.
Extremely enjoyable for a few hours. Perhaps rounding up to 4 stars is excessive, but DES books are very cheering, particularly when you haven’t read one in a while. And it came closer to a romantic red herring than DES usually does!
Extremely enjoyable for a few hours. Perhaps rounding up to 4 stars is excessive, but DES books are very cheering, particularly when you haven’t read one in a while. And it came closer to a romantic red herring than DES usually does!
June 11, 2025
I don’t know how the author made me fall in love with a village and people in less than 200 pages, but she did.
This might be my favorite novel of hers so far.
Perfect read for anyone in the mood for a 1940s small English village drama.
This might be my favorite novel of hers so far.
Perfect read for anyone in the mood for a 1940s small English village drama.
August 16, 2025
fiction (classic? getting close if not actually)
D.E. Stevenson's books are always large ones that give you plenty of time to get into the storyline, then keep you there for awhile. This one took me so long to get through, but it was worth it!
I would probably read it again.
D.E. Stevenson's books are always large ones that give you plenty of time to get into the storyline, then keep you there for awhile. This one took me so long to get through, but it was worth it!
I would probably read it again.
February 17, 2022
I always love her books when I need something relaxing.
June 7, 2022
A lovely weekend read! My first D. E. Stevenson novel, it was a breath of fresh air, featuring post-world war II quaint British countryside community life when a Londoner is thrust into it.
May 19, 2023
Not the best of the author’s works, but would recommend for well established fans of D. E. Stevenson.
November 5, 2024
There are two sorts of D. E. Stevenson books - memorable (Miss Buncle, Mrs.Tim) and unmemorable. This is one of the latter (only a week later and I’m already vague on the details!) but still an excellent choice for convalescing from Covid. A cozy English romance.
July 27, 2025
2 1/2 stars
I loved the writing style, but I did not think much of the actual story. Much of it felt incomplete to me - storylines started and went absolutely nowhere - and I was not at all impressed with the "romance".
I loved the writing style, but I did not think much of the actual story. Much of it felt incomplete to me - storylines started and went absolutely nowhere - and I was not at all impressed with the "romance".
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March 27, 2023I have read so many books by D.E. Stevenson, and this might be my LEAST favorite. I liked the protagonist quite a bit, but the "remaining cast members," so to speak, were rather horrid (with a few exceptions). My mind wandered a lot. Suddenly Kate was deeply in love with a character that I couldn't remember meeting! Maybe there were just too many characters?
March 10, 2022
My review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
Maybe rather than a romance this is a book about class? As one man moves from one class to another, the careless condescension of someone who takes his lord of the manor role for granted is somewhat grating.
Maybe rather than a romance this is a book about class? As one man moves from one class to another, the careless condescension of someone who takes his lord of the manor role for granted is somewhat grating.
October 18, 2019
Unfortunately, "Kate Hardy" is one of many D.E. Stevenson novels that are currently out of print, but I was able to find a used copy online at a semi-reasonable price.
First published in 1947, and set in that same post-war time period, the title character is a successful author from London, who impulsively purchases "the Dower House" in the village of Old Quinings from local landowner Richard Morven and moves in, hoping to find some peace and quiet to write in. Morven -- separated from his wife -- is an obvious potential love interest -- but then there's also local war hero Walter Stack, recently returned home and trying to readjust to his modest working-class life as a carpenter. Class, social mobility and post-war social upheaval are major themes here, and while some of the attitudes might seem horribly outdated to our modern way of thinking, these were very real issues being confronted in Britain at the time.
Like most of Stevenson's work, "Kate Hardy" is a fast & pleasant read. The one thing I didn't especially like about it was a subplot with a bit of a supernatural/occult element to it. It was kind of jarring and nasty and felt a bit out of place in the gentle world of DES. I think the story could have done without it.
Three stars.
First published in 1947, and set in that same post-war time period, the title character is a successful author from London, who impulsively purchases "the Dower House" in the village of Old Quinings from local landowner Richard Morven and moves in, hoping to find some peace and quiet to write in. Morven -- separated from his wife -- is an obvious potential love interest -- but then there's also local war hero Walter Stack, recently returned home and trying to readjust to his modest working-class life as a carpenter. Class, social mobility and post-war social upheaval are major themes here, and while some of the attitudes might seem horribly outdated to our modern way of thinking, these were very real issues being confronted in Britain at the time.
Like most of Stevenson's work, "Kate Hardy" is a fast & pleasant read. The one thing I didn't especially like about it was a subplot with a bit of a supernatural/occult element to it. It was kind of jarring and nasty and felt a bit out of place in the gentle world of DES. I think the story could have done without it.
Three stars.
January 31, 2008
How many favorite books can one have? This is one.
An independent woman of private means buys a house in Old Quinings. She attempts to renovate the house during the austere post-war times. She hires a young demobbed veteran who has trouble adjusting to the village social schema after serving as a responsible army officer during the war. He alone discovers that Kate is an author of mystery novels under a man's pen name.
connections: Mrs. Tim Flies Home (Old Quinings)
An independent woman of private means buys a house in Old Quinings. She attempts to renovate the house during the austere post-war times. She hires a young demobbed veteran who has trouble adjusting to the village social schema after serving as a responsible army officer during the war. He alone discovers that Kate is an author of mystery novels under a man's pen name.
connections: Mrs. Tim Flies Home (Old Quinings)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews