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A Noble Life
He did not succeed to the title; he was born Earl of Cairnforth his father having been drowned in the loch a month before the wretched countess herself beholding the sight from her castle windows.
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1866
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About the author
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
319 books66 followersDinah Maria Craik (born Dinah Maria Mulock, also often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik) was an English novelist and poet. She was born at Stoke-on-Trent and brought up in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
After the death of her mother in 1845, Dinah Maria Mulock settled in London about 1846. She was determined to obtain a livelihood by her pen, and, beginning with fiction for children, advanced steadily until placed in the front rank of the women novelists of her day. She is best known for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856). She followed this with A Life for a Life (1859), which she considered to be the best of her novels, and several other works. She also published some poetry, narratives of tours in Ireland and Cornwall, and A Woman's Thoughts about Women (1858).
She married George Lillie Craik a partner with Alexander Macmillan in the publishing house of Macmillan & Company, and nephew of George Lillie Craik, in 1864. They adopted a foundling baby girl, Dorothy, in 1869.
At Shortlands, near Bromley, Kent, while in a period of preparation for Dorothy's wedding, she died of heart failure on 12 October 1887, aged 61. Her last words were reported to have been: "Oh, if I could live four weeks longer! but no matter, no matter!" Her final book, An Unknown Country, was published by Macmillan in 1887, the year of her death.
After the death of her mother in 1845, Dinah Maria Mulock settled in London about 1846. She was determined to obtain a livelihood by her pen, and, beginning with fiction for children, advanced steadily until placed in the front rank of the women novelists of her day. She is best known for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856). She followed this with A Life for a Life (1859), which she considered to be the best of her novels, and several other works. She also published some poetry, narratives of tours in Ireland and Cornwall, and A Woman's Thoughts about Women (1858).
She married George Lillie Craik a partner with Alexander Macmillan in the publishing house of Macmillan & Company, and nephew of George Lillie Craik, in 1864. They adopted a foundling baby girl, Dorothy, in 1869.
At Shortlands, near Bromley, Kent, while in a period of preparation for Dorothy's wedding, she died of heart failure on 12 October 1887, aged 61. Her last words were reported to have been: "Oh, if I could live four weeks longer! but no matter, no matter!" Her final book, An Unknown Country, was published by Macmillan in 1887, the year of her death.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 2, 2022
4.5. I really enjoyed this. Dinah Mulock Craik continues to be a real favourite for me.
October 17, 2021
While I don't think this is the best of disability representation and it can be quite sentimental, this shall be forgiven due to the time period it was written in and because I just enjoyed this book immensely thanks to its wonderful and lovable characters. Their relationships were so real, complex and full of love, I couldnt help feeling for them. I love the writing and how much it transports the characters' emotions. While the most important characters were maybe too much stereotypical good people by the time's standarts, Craik gives them their sets of doubts, fears, joys and moments of weakness so that they still manage to feel belivable and real. I thoroughly loved this read.
March 22, 2025
3 - 3.5 stars
Not a bad story. But overly sentimental. And too goody two shoes
Not a bad story. But overly sentimental. And too goody two shoes
June 13, 2018
Needed more descriptions of Scottish highlands. One of those moral stories. I got bored and skipped to the end.
April 29, 2020
Enjoyable.
September 22, 2024
Ms. Craik’s writing makes me think of Rosamunde Pilcher’s books; soothing, gently reassuring, a lovely reminder that there are good people, places and pockets of peace and beauty in this world where God's Love predominates in all its splendor. I used to read Pilcher when I was a young adult and first experiencing the Big Chill and in need of such reminders. Now my faith in Truth is much stronger and I don’t need those reminders so much, but I just appreciate reading books like this, because they are so well, positive and uplifting.
I loved Craik’s book, Olive, and initially, A Noble Life reminded me of it as the main characters in both suffer from physical deformities. However, the earl of Cairnforth, the last Lord of the Scottish castle and lands of Cairnforth—that ever would be—was born with severe physical defects. His face, head and mind were perfect, but the rest of him was no bigger than a small child and never grew beyond that. He had to be carried all his life. And in that respect, he was very fortunate to have a devoted servant, Malcolm who served in this role all his life. The earl lost his father before he was born and his mother shortly after his birth, but his father’s business manager took care of things for him until the young man was of age to assume his responsibilities for himself.
From such inauspicious beginnings, it is still possible to forge a noble life and that is the crux of this inspiring story. Only my second by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, but certainly not my last!
I loved Craik’s book, Olive, and initially, A Noble Life reminded me of it as the main characters in both suffer from physical deformities. However, the earl of Cairnforth, the last Lord of the Scottish castle and lands of Cairnforth—that ever would be—was born with severe physical defects. His face, head and mind were perfect, but the rest of him was no bigger than a small child and never grew beyond that. He had to be carried all his life. And in that respect, he was very fortunate to have a devoted servant, Malcolm who served in this role all his life. The earl lost his father before he was born and his mother shortly after his birth, but his father’s business manager took care of things for him until the young man was of age to assume his responsibilities for himself.
From such inauspicious beginnings, it is still possible to forge a noble life and that is the crux of this inspiring story. Only my second by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, but certainly not my last!
June 6, 2023
Someone gave this book to my husband and I as a present because our last name is Noble. I went into this book not knowing anything about it and now it is one of my all time favorite reads. It was absolutely beautiful and wholesome. Every parent should read it to their child and every child should keep reading it as an adult! Highly recommend.
February 5, 2022
After reading this book, I felt that the worth of human being and its life are defined by the attitude toward what he/she cannot have. If we live a fulfilling life with that outward incompleteness, that should be called a noble life.
April 17, 2024
Very good. Olive is still my favourite from this author so far. Definitely interesting to see how disability in Victorian times is portrayed by Ms Craik.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews