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Yoked with a Lamb
The town of Haystoun is in a tizzy because Andrew and Lucy Lockhart and their children are boldly returning, several years after Andrew's scandalous liaison with another woman. Most residents are firmly in Lucy's corner, but as Lucy's plans to host a family gathering in celebration of their return exacerbates existing tensions, Andrew's cousin Kate Heron-drafted to help smooth the way-begins to wonder . . . The resulting difficulties draw in Kate's brother Greystiel, elderly Jean Anstruther, who keeps the town under careful surveillance, Jean's nephew Robin, the Lockharts' formidable Aunt Charlotte, and an unforgettable array of supporting characters as the tale reaches its satisfying climax.
Molly Clavering was for many years the neighbour and friend of bestselling author D.E. Stevenson, and they may well have influenced one another's writing. First published in 1938 (under the pseudonym B. Mollett) and out of print for more than 80 years, Yoked with a Lamb is a witty and entertaining account of family conflict and reconciliation in a charming Scottish setting. This new edition features an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.
Molly Clavering was for many years the neighbour and friend of bestselling author D.E. Stevenson, and they may well have influenced one another's writing. First published in 1938 (under the pseudonym B. Mollett) and out of print for more than 80 years, Yoked with a Lamb is a witty and entertaining account of family conflict and reconciliation in a charming Scottish setting. This new edition features an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1938
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133 people want to read
About the author
Molly Clavering
12 books62 followersAKA Marion Moffatt.
Molly Clavering was born in Glasgow, but lived in the country from an early age. After six years' service wiith the WRNS, she settled in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, where she served on the Town Council.
Molly Clavering was born in Glasgow, but lived in the country from an early age. After six years' service wiith the WRNS, she settled in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, where she served on the Town Council.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 19, 2023
After hearing of the sad and untimely death of Rupert Heath, the man behind Dean Street Press and the Furrowed Middlebrow books, and learning that there would be no more, I was in two minds about rushing to read another one, Perhaps I should save them; as proven by what has happened, life is short, so I will just go ahead and read them.
Yoked with a Lamb is the third Molly Clavering book I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It doesn't have quite the same level of warmth as the others, but is more realistic. The author is often compared to get friend and neighbour D.E. Stevenson, but I find Molly Clavering has a bit more depth, and prefer her writing.
Yoked with a Lamb is the third Molly Clavering book I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It doesn't have quite the same level of warmth as the others, but is more realistic. The author is often compared to get friend and neighbour D.E. Stevenson, but I find Molly Clavering has a bit more depth, and prefer her writing.
January 17, 2023
Kate Heron, early twenties, comes to the Scottish borderlands town of Haystoun on a family mission. Her parents have sent her to smooth a rough transition for some cousins, Andrew and Lucy Lockhart. Several years earlier, Andrew had—gasp—left his wife for another woman, and a married one at that, and their house has stood empty ever since. Now Kate has been sent to supervise the opening of the house because Andrew and Lucy are attempting to reconcile, and Lucy for one feels things will be less awkward if there are some neutral parties around.
This is the rather odd premise of Yoked with a Lamb. The British domestic comedy novels of the period between the wars are generally perceived as light bits of fluff, comfortable reads for the idle hour with an inevitable engagement at the end. But as I read more of them, I am learning that many have more challenging subtexts, questioning the normal expectations of the life arcs of young gentlewomen. Recent examples (Britannia Mews, which follows the life of an idealistic girl who winds up killing her abusive husband; Diary of a Provincial Lady, which skewers a selfish husband and probes divorce and feminism; and now Yoked with a Lamb, exploring infidelity and the damage done by rumors) have convinced me that all is not tea and crumpets in the fictional preoccupations of popular fiction writers of the age.
The town of Haystoun is a hotbed of gossip, and our heroine quickly becomes a source of invidious attention. She is a lively girl, sometimes silly, sometimes impulsive, but as they story goes on, increasingly kind and understanding toward those around her. Her love interest may put off some modern readers for being a good sixteen years her senior; but on the page he didn’t read as that much older—well established in his life, yes, but ready to join her in crazy escapades and held back from full maturity by an unrequited passion. He was in love with the same siren who tempted his friend Andrew away from his wife, and that old flame, despite never appearing in Haystoun, looms large over much of the story.
The theme of complicated relationships partly disguises the fact that this book has many stereotypical characters and episodes. There are the crusty dowagers and downtrodden spinsters, servants foolish and fearsome, comic yokels, dissatisfied wives, lively clever children, and withholding men typical of the era’s domestic comedies, and romance clichés like scenes under the stars and moments in which the heroine knows this is the one because of how smoothly they dance together. We know who the hero is by the way the heroine reacts when she first sees his house. At times the comic scenes, though well done, sit a little awkwardly against the more serious character study and the vision of an unsatisfactory marriage. But these differences made the book more interesting and less forgettable than many light novels of the 1930s.
One jarring note for me was how many characters in the book expressed support for, of all things, the Confederate cause. Who would have thought that the American Civil War would be such a preoccupation among Scots in 1938? The lurking presence of Hitler, never mentioned but perhaps influencing this attitude, made me profoundly squeamish. Perhaps these characters can only be as nice as they are because they move in a homogeneous sphere in which their assumptions never get challenged.
I must object yet again to the poor quality of the books produced in the Furrowed Middlebrow series by the Dean Street Press. They are obviously scanned and never proofread, and in this case, that slipshod approach led to at least five errors to the page on average—incorrect letters, missing words, random punctuation. It was very distracting and in some cases I couldn’t even figure out what the correct word was supposed to be. The series is so successful that I resent Dean Street for not changing its business model and stepping up the quality. The book design is ugly too, with badly selected fonts a tick too small and too-narrow margins. These features detract from my enjoyment of the books.
This is the rather odd premise of Yoked with a Lamb. The British domestic comedy novels of the period between the wars are generally perceived as light bits of fluff, comfortable reads for the idle hour with an inevitable engagement at the end. But as I read more of them, I am learning that many have more challenging subtexts, questioning the normal expectations of the life arcs of young gentlewomen. Recent examples (Britannia Mews, which follows the life of an idealistic girl who winds up killing her abusive husband; Diary of a Provincial Lady, which skewers a selfish husband and probes divorce and feminism; and now Yoked with a Lamb, exploring infidelity and the damage done by rumors) have convinced me that all is not tea and crumpets in the fictional preoccupations of popular fiction writers of the age.
The town of Haystoun is a hotbed of gossip, and our heroine quickly becomes a source of invidious attention. She is a lively girl, sometimes silly, sometimes impulsive, but as they story goes on, increasingly kind and understanding toward those around her. Her love interest may put off some modern readers for being a good sixteen years her senior; but on the page he didn’t read as that much older—well established in his life, yes, but ready to join her in crazy escapades and held back from full maturity by an unrequited passion. He was in love with the same siren who tempted his friend Andrew away from his wife, and that old flame, despite never appearing in Haystoun, looms large over much of the story.
The theme of complicated relationships partly disguises the fact that this book has many stereotypical characters and episodes. There are the crusty dowagers and downtrodden spinsters, servants foolish and fearsome, comic yokels, dissatisfied wives, lively clever children, and withholding men typical of the era’s domestic comedies, and romance clichés like scenes under the stars and moments in which the heroine knows this is the one because of how smoothly they dance together. We know who the hero is by the way the heroine reacts when she first sees his house. At times the comic scenes, though well done, sit a little awkwardly against the more serious character study and the vision of an unsatisfactory marriage. But these differences made the book more interesting and less forgettable than many light novels of the 1930s.
One jarring note for me was how many characters in the book expressed support for, of all things, the Confederate cause. Who would have thought that the American Civil War would be such a preoccupation among Scots in 1938? The lurking presence of Hitler, never mentioned but perhaps influencing this attitude, made me profoundly squeamish. Perhaps these characters can only be as nice as they are because they move in a homogeneous sphere in which their assumptions never get challenged.
I must object yet again to the poor quality of the books produced in the Furrowed Middlebrow series by the Dean Street Press. They are obviously scanned and never proofread, and in this case, that slipshod approach led to at least five errors to the page on average—incorrect letters, missing words, random punctuation. It was very distracting and in some cases I couldn’t even figure out what the correct word was supposed to be. The series is so successful that I resent Dean Street for not changing its business model and stepping up the quality. The book design is ugly too, with badly selected fonts a tick too small and too-narrow margins. These features detract from my enjoyment of the books.
July 11, 2021
When the town of Haystoun learns that Lucy and Andrew Lockhart, an estranged married couple with three children, are returning home after a 4-year absence, all the neighbors are perplexed over how to treat the couple. There's gossip galore on the subject of "whose fault was it," but their friends are mainly just concerned with getting them moved in and given the smoothest start possible.
Before the family arrives, their cousin Kate Heron comes to oversee cleaning and renovation. She meets Robin Anstruther, a neighbor who supposedly was in love with the same woman that Andrew Lockhart ran away with years ago. Kate and Robin become friends but she's never quite sure if that's just because she reminds him of the woman he used to love.
Once the Lockhart family arrives Kate finds plenty of sticky situations to navigate, as anywhere Lucy Lockhart goes, tension is sure to follow. This story is not as relaxing a read as some of Molly Clavering's others. It's so full of painful regrets and history that can't be undone, but to be fair, it is written with a fairly light touch and doesn't come across as melodramatic. The writing is good as usual. And the ending is pretty satisfactory. It's just that the journey to get there is a bit tense.
Before the family arrives, their cousin Kate Heron comes to oversee cleaning and renovation. She meets Robin Anstruther, a neighbor who supposedly was in love with the same woman that Andrew Lockhart ran away with years ago. Kate and Robin become friends but she's never quite sure if that's just because she reminds him of the woman he used to love.
Once the Lockhart family arrives Kate finds plenty of sticky situations to navigate, as anywhere Lucy Lockhart goes, tension is sure to follow. This story is not as relaxing a read as some of Molly Clavering's others. It's so full of painful regrets and history that can't be undone, but to be fair, it is written with a fairly light touch and doesn't come across as melodramatic. The writing is good as usual. And the ending is pretty satisfactory. It's just that the journey to get there is a bit tense.
April 18, 2024
This is my fourth Clavering novel and so far I've been intrigued by how different each one has been from the others. The fact that they don't follow a very discernible formula makes them very refreshing.
Yoked with a Lamb was much more "adult" than the other three novels I read in terms of language (mild swearing) and subject (adultery), but still very chaste by modern standards. The blurb on the cover says its about a young couple trying to put their marriage back together after a four-year separation. Their relationship is the background for much of what happens in the novel, but the story is peopled with many other strong characters such as Kate Heron, Robin Anstruther, and Robin’s formidable Aunt Jean.
Clavering managed to surprise a little with the denouement, and rather than being disappointed, I felt that she did a fine job of carrying it all off.
Yoked with a Lamb was much more "adult" than the other three novels I read in terms of language (mild swearing) and subject (adultery), but still very chaste by modern standards. The blurb on the cover says its about a young couple trying to put their marriage back together after a four-year separation. Their relationship is the background for much of what happens in the novel, but the story is peopled with many other strong characters such as Kate Heron, Robin Anstruther, and Robin’s formidable Aunt Jean.
Clavering managed to surprise a little with the denouement, and rather than being disappointed, I felt that she did a fine job of carrying it all off.
did-not-finish
May 31, 2023I read half of this and couldn’t continue. The main character Kate was appealing, but the ponderous pacing and the absurdly low-stakes plot did me in.
March 5, 2024
Review to come!
April 25, 2025
3.75🌟 This is the last Molly Clavering book I had to read—a little nerve-wracking, but also satisfying. I've enjoyed every single novel by this author to varying degrees...although mostly 4-5 stars. This is my least favorite of her six books, but it's still a great read.
Many of the characters in the Scottish village of Haystoun are irritating, but in an entertaining way, especially formidable Mrs. Anstruther, cantankerous Aunt Charlotte, simpering Flora Milligan and her mother (who I wanted to give a thorough shake!)
Although I didn't find the main character of Kate as likeable as Molly Clavering's other female protagonists, she's still fun to read about—fiesty, intelligent and amusing. I got such a kick out of young Henry Lockhart, Grey Heron (Kate's brother) and Kate's quiet but perceptive aunt. Unfortunately, I didn't like Robin Anstruther very much...and that made the ending a little less than joyful for me.
The one thing that I still have difficulty with is the written out Scottish dialect. Sometimes, it took me three times the amount of time to read one page because of the abbreviations, terms I didn't know and also attempting to "sound out" the words in my head. Exhausting! But, I have to admit, it was worth it in the end...and will possibly help me later on when I'm trying to read more novels set in Scotland (which I do seem to love).
Many thanks to Caro (@carosbookcase on Instagram) for buddy reading this book with me! Although I didn't finish it in one day like she did, I was very happy to be reading this with her. I always learn something new when discussing books with Caro!
Definitely recommended if you want an enjoyable chuckle and you don't mind characters that get on your nerves. Kudos to you if you can read the Scottish conversations with more ease than me! (or is it I?)
Many of the characters in the Scottish village of Haystoun are irritating, but in an entertaining way, especially formidable Mrs. Anstruther, cantankerous Aunt Charlotte, simpering Flora Milligan and her mother (who I wanted to give a thorough shake!)
Although I didn't find the main character of Kate as likeable as Molly Clavering's other female protagonists, she's still fun to read about—fiesty, intelligent and amusing. I got such a kick out of young Henry Lockhart, Grey Heron (Kate's brother) and Kate's quiet but perceptive aunt. Unfortunately, I didn't like Robin Anstruther very much...and that made the ending a little less than joyful for me.
The one thing that I still have difficulty with is the written out Scottish dialect. Sometimes, it took me three times the amount of time to read one page because of the abbreviations, terms I didn't know and also attempting to "sound out" the words in my head. Exhausting! But, I have to admit, it was worth it in the end...and will possibly help me later on when I'm trying to read more novels set in Scotland (which I do seem to love).
Many thanks to Caro (@carosbookcase on Instagram) for buddy reading this book with me! Although I didn't finish it in one day like she did, I was very happy to be reading this with her. I always learn something new when discussing books with Caro!
Definitely recommended if you want an enjoyable chuckle and you don't mind characters that get on your nerves. Kudos to you if you can read the Scottish conversations with more ease than me! (or is it I?)
February 24, 2023
I'm reading these vintage novels by Molly Clavering in no particular order. So far I have absolutely loved "Susan Settles Down" and "Touch Not the Nettle" but I didn't enjoy "Love Comes Home." So I wasn't sure where this title would land on my list but, I loved it.
This story is full of charm, interesting but not perfect characters, and some funny "adventures." Kate is a worthy heroine, the supporting characters are hilarious (particularly the aged family members and servants) and the love interest is a Mr. Darcy / Mr. Knightley composite in some ways (if not others).
Incidentally, it also illustrated for me how much better educated some people were in the past. In this particular story you have a 12 year old boy lamenting having to learn Julius Caesar off by heart and antoher character comforting him along these lines (my paraphrase, not having the book in front of me): "But you already know so much of it." And, Reader, he does.
This story is full of charm, interesting but not perfect characters, and some funny "adventures." Kate is a worthy heroine, the supporting characters are hilarious (particularly the aged family members and servants) and the love interest is a Mr. Darcy / Mr. Knightley composite in some ways (if not others).
Incidentally, it also illustrated for me how much better educated some people were in the past. In this particular story you have a 12 year old boy lamenting having to learn Julius Caesar off by heart and antoher character comforting him along these lines (my paraphrase, not having the book in front of me): "But you already know so much of it." And, Reader, he does.
January 26, 2025
Andrew Lockhart created a scandal in the little town of Haystoun when he left his wife and children and ran off with a married woman. Four years later it seems his affair is over and he and his wife Lucy are reconciled and coming back to the family home. His cousin Kate is asked to come and get the house ready for their arrival, they think things will be less awkward if there are other people there. So Kate comes, and various other relatives turn up. There are some comic scenes where people get locked in cupboards, stuck in windows, lose their false teeth etc. Andrew and Lucy’s relationship is, not surprisingly, rather tense, and their children have problems too. Although I normally prefer my fiction on the light side, I couldn’t help feeling that the tone of this novel didn’t quite fit with the serious nature of the subject - I would have liked to see the ‘other woman’, Elizabeth, for instance, and know what she thought about everything. And I thought everyone was a bit too quick to blame Lucy for everything that happened. I feel it would have benefitted from fewer comic incidents and a bit more exploration of feelings, motives etc.
July 12, 2025
I can’t recommend this, even to lovers of light mid-century novels who are willing to contextualize out-dated attitudes, language, and assumptions. This had too many things to overlook - and it was boring!
Yoked with a Lamb was published in 1938, two years after Susan Settles Down, which I also found boring. My advice is to avoid Clavering’s early books (pre-WWII) and instead read her 1950s novels: Dear Hugo, Near Neighbors, Mr. Lorimer’s Quiet Summer, and Because of Sam. Those were delightful.
Yoked with a Lamb was published in 1938, two years after Susan Settles Down, which I also found boring. My advice is to avoid Clavering’s early books (pre-WWII) and instead read her 1950s novels: Dear Hugo, Near Neighbors, Mr. Lorimer’s Quiet Summer, and Because of Sam. Those were delightful.
August 21, 2021
I liked Kate and Robin, but I strongly disliked the main plot. I have a real problem with stories where the cheated-upon one in a couple is blamed for the infidelity of the other person because of some character flaw, and there was a lot of gossip and nastiness in the plot. But as with some of her other books, I'm not quite sure if Clavering intends the readers to take her seriously or if she is laughing and the characters and the reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2021
4.5 stars
May 17, 2023
**3.5 Stars**
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub on Litsy - May 2023
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub on Litsy - May 2023
September 3, 2024
Ugh. Another misogynistic book by Molly Clavering. I have really enjoyed other books that she's written, but I seem to be on a roll with her more sexist books. This book may be said to be of its time, but it has every woman-hating trope in it: the shrewish wife, the ugly, sad gossip monger who lives with her mom, the naive waif who discovers she loves a man even if he loves someone else, etc. etc. And, to top it off, one of the little boys idolizes the US Civil War and says he stands firmly with the Confederates. Yikes. Seriously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
Great comfort read. Love her descriptions of the countryside.
January 9, 2023
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023...
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023...
May 30, 2023
Four years earlier, Andrew and Lucy Lockhart separated after his affair with another woman. Now, they are returning to his estate, Soonhope, in the Scottish village of Haystoun to try to reconcile. Andrew’s unmarried cousin, Kate Heron arrives at Soonhope in advance of the family to prepare it for their arrival. As it turns out, both Andrew and Lucy rely on Kate to assist them in patching their marriage back together and running their household. Meanwhile, Kate has run into Andrew’s other cousin, Robin Anstruther, a local farmer, and she feels drawn to him, though they haven’t seen each other since they were children.
Set between the wars, this is quite a sprawling story condensed in just 236 pages. The sexual politics in it were infuriating for this modern reader and there are some awkward references to the US Civil War, but still I was won over by Kate and rooted for her.
Set between the wars, this is quite a sprawling story condensed in just 236 pages. The sexual politics in it were infuriating for this modern reader and there are some awkward references to the US Civil War, but still I was won over by Kate and rooted for her.
August 17, 2024
3.5 stars
This book was both charming and dated making it quite frustrating in parts. I laughed out loud in happy merriment at some bits and cursed out loud in disgust at others (there was also some cringing at a weird affection for the Confederate side of the American Civil War). The disgust was elicited by the outdated views on gender relations. Having said that, the protagonist, Kate Heron, does occasionally question the conventions of the time and is even provoked to, rather mildly, calling out some of the other characters.
Though a mixed bag, overall it was worth the read. Just remind yourself that it was first published in 1938 (and hope the author was mostly ignorant about the actual cause of the Civil War).
This book was both charming and dated making it quite frustrating in parts. I laughed out loud in happy merriment at some bits and cursed out loud in disgust at others (there was also some cringing at a weird affection for the Confederate side of the American Civil War). The disgust was elicited by the outdated views on gender relations. Having said that, the protagonist, Kate Heron, does occasionally question the conventions of the time and is even provoked to, rather mildly, calling out some of the other characters.
Though a mixed bag, overall it was worth the read. Just remind yourself that it was first published in 1938 (and hope the author was mostly ignorant about the actual cause of the Civil War).
October 6, 2024
Sweet and solid love story
I very much enjoyed this book about two couples, one who has gone through an affair and separation and reuniting and the other, whom our heroine Kate is at the center of we are never quite sure will bear fruit in the end. I love how Kate is quick witted and headstrong and her lover Robin is a question mark most of the time. The reader knows these two belong together right from the start, but Kate is always doubting herself. The other two Andrew and Lucy never seem to belong together at all but somehow they labor through and really, I believe many marriages are like that. I loved the sweetness of this book. Even the lesser characters Anne and Henry are charming. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
I very much enjoyed this book about two couples, one who has gone through an affair and separation and reuniting and the other, whom our heroine Kate is at the center of we are never quite sure will bear fruit in the end. I love how Kate is quick witted and headstrong and her lover Robin is a question mark most of the time. The reader knows these two belong together right from the start, but Kate is always doubting herself. The other two Andrew and Lucy never seem to belong together at all but somehow they labor through and really, I believe many marriages are like that. I loved the sweetness of this book. Even the lesser characters Anne and Henry are charming. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
March 28, 2025
Predictable, fun, and enjoyable. As I have found with many books from this era, lots of snobbish attitudes as well. I didn’t love the characters, but I found the books predictably, as well as its descriptions of the glorious countryside, to be very soothing as the world is imploding.
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