The Margery Sharp Collection Volume One: Something Light, The Nutmeg Tree, The Flowering Thorn, and The Innocents

by Margery Sharp

Four charming, witty novels—including The Nutmeg Tree—from the “highly gifted” New York Times–bestselling author of Cluny Brown (The New Yorker).   A master of the twentieth-century comedy of manners, British author Margery Sharp has been praised as “one of the most gifted writers of comedy” (Chicago Daily News) and “a wonderful entertainer” (The New Yorker). Available for the first time in a single volume, this quartet of novels provides a shining example of “her brilliantly acerbic fiction . . . [and] one of her greatest talents, creating female characters of toughness and complexity” (The New York Times).  Something In 1950s London, professional dog photographer Louisa Datchett has decided it’s high time she snared herself a husband. Up until now, she’s been indiscriminately fond of men, who’ve taken shocking advantage of her good nature. At age thirty Louisa is ready for someone to take care of her and sets out on her romantic quest, in this New York Times bestseller.   “Brisk, bright, sly, engaging . . . a pleasure to read.” —Chicago Tribune  The Nutmeg Motherhood was never really free-spirited Julia Packett’s thing. Following the loss of her husband in World War I, Julia turned to her well-heeled in-laws to raise her daughter. Now twenty, Susan invites her mother to France for the summer to persuade her grandmother to allow her to marry. When Julia arrives, she quickly sees that her proper daughter is mismatched with a playboy. And when Susan’s distinguished legal guardian, Sir William Waring, shows up, romantic complications ensue.   “Original, subtle, and consistently entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews  The Flowering In 1929 London, socialite Lesley Frewen impulsively decides to adopt an orphaned boy. Moving to the tiny village of High Westover, Lesley finds herself challenged by a whole new way of life and changed by a young boy who begins to awaken her capacity to love.   “To those who ‘discovered’ Margery Sharp with The Nutmeg Tree, the reissue of this earlier novel . . . will be good news. The city-bred-country-won theme is handled with gay humor and enough of sentiment for general appeal.” —Kirkus Reviews  The As World War II separates a three-year-old, mentally challenged girl from her parents, a British spinster takes on the responsibility of raising her and the two grow closer. But when the war is over and the girl’s mother returns, Antoinette doesn’t want to be separated from the only person who’s ever really understood her.   “Marvelously crafted . . . believable and heart-wrenching . . . [Sharp] is an incredibly perceptive writer.” —The Literary Sisters

Genres: Fiction

974 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2018

About the author

Margery Sharp was born Clara Margery Melita Sharp in Salisbury. She spent part of her childhood in Malta.

Sharp wrote 26 novels, 14 children's stories, 4 plays, 2 mysteries and many short stories. She is best known for her series of children's books about a little white mouse named Miss Bianca and her companion, Bernard. Two Disney films have been made based on them, called The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under.

In 1938, she married Major Geoffrey Castle, an aeronautical engineer.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽]

$2.99 Kindle sale, July 16, 2016, for this collection for four British comedy of manners novels from mid-20th century author Margery Sharp. Sharp has some distinct feminist sensibilities so, though there are at least some HEAs here, it's not all sweetness and fluff.

[Bronwyn]

Read The Nutmeg Tree on September 22-23, 2025

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Something Light" was indeed light, but funny. It reminded me of P.G. Wodehouse, which I take as a good sign.
"The Nutmeg Tree" was very funny and I was happy to hear there is also a movie, "Julia Misbehaves" which I will need to see now.
"The Flowering Thorn" was so-so, bordering on hardly believable. Both the main character and the child were so cold to each other and everybody else - I can't believe this is normal behaviour, not even in England and not even during that time (which if I remember correctly was before WW2).
"The Innocents" was almost predictable but smart and rather shocking.

[Caroline A Leveaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real find

I am so glad I have come across Margery Sharp – yes, sometimes there are old-fashioned concepts which make you flinch, but overall there is a sense of fairness and tolerance which I really loved as well as stories which are engaging and varied.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read a single volume of Something Light, which was charming and laugh out loud funny.

[Franziska Self Fisken]

I think it is a shame that recently Margery Sharp has been sadly neglected
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