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A Wayside Tavern
A Wayside Tavern tells, in a series of dramatic incidents, the story of a Suffolk drinking place from the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, until the present day. The Roman veteran, crippled and left behind, worshipped Mithras, so the place became known as the One Bull and down through the centuries it accommodated itself to changing times and became a clearing house for contraband, a miniature Hell Fire Club, a fashionable hotel, a mere pub.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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About the author
Norah Lofts
106 books309 followersNorah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.
Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.
Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.
Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.
Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 12, 2017
Note, April 12, 2017: Just now, I edited this again, this time to correct a typo.
Note, Sept. 3, 2014: I've just revised this review slightly, to correct some information on the historical background of St. Cerdic.
As the reasonably accurate Goodreads description above indicates, Lofts covers an enormous sweep of English history in this book, nearly 16 centuries. (The edition I read was actually a different, hardcover one; and the cover art on the edition above is misleading. It suggests a romance novel, which this isn't, and there's no couple in the book that clearly resembles the one on the cover in looks or behavior.) One of the author's last novels, it's also one of her most ambitious.
In content and style, there's much here that's typical of Lofts' work, including the Suffolk setting. The One Bull, whose history she imagines here (with fictional characters) is a real eatery, originally built in Roman times, in her beloved hometown of Bury St. Edmund, which serves as the model for Mallow here. It also serves, in many of her novels, as the model for her fictional Baildon, a town that's mentioned here once in passing. (Some readers have considered it a flaw that she created a different town here, finding it difficult to fit into actual Suffolk geography or into the imagined geography of her total Suffolk corpus, but I don't have any problem with it; IMO, readers shouldn't be too concerned with exact geographic placement of invented locations. That's an attitude probably influenced by the fact that, as a Yank, my knowledge of East Anglian geography is hazy anyway!) In real life, the One Bull does abut the ruins of an abbey; St. Cerdic here is apparently based on St. Edmund in actual Suffolk history and lore (though Edmund was martyred in 869 A.D., not 834).
Again typically for Lofts, her characters, across the span of generations (throughout which the One Bull always remains the home of one family line!) are a wide variety of personality types, with widely varying fates and fortunes. As in much of her work, her focus isn't on the makers of history, but on the common people who live through the history that gets made (suffering and dying in the wars, dealing with plague and religious upheaval, scraping out a living under a changing economic order whose changes aren't meant to benefit the many). Strong women who take charge of their own lives, do things that make a difference in their little corner of the world, and face the worst life can throw at them without flinching, aren't uncommon in Lofts novels, and several ladies here are a worthy addition to that sorority. Strong males aren't absent either. Not all of these people are wholly admirable or likeable (and some not at all); and some of their attitudes and actions can be horrendous. Lofts, as is her wont, doesn't praise or blame; she just helps us understand each person and lets us draw our own conclusions. (We can often learn a lot about life and human relationships from negative examples, as well as positive ones; but there are really positive examples here, too.) Her writing is always characterized by a recognition of both the tragedy and injustice of life in this world; bad things can (and often do) happen to good people, and sin isn't always punished, nor virtue rewarded, in this life. This isn't an argument for meaninglessness and nihilism; it's a realistic recognition that meaning and decency exist in the face of a darkness in the world that has to be taken seriously. Indeed, there is an affirmation of meaning here, most obviously in the celebration of heritage and continuity in human affairs, and of family ties. And there's also the low-key note of the transcendent; the bones of St. Cerdic, martyred in the 9th century and interred in the little church behind the One Bull, possess an ongoing power to effect genuine miracles in human lives --sometimes physical healing, but more often a bringing out of the best of what's already latent in the hearts of those who kneel or stand on the grave. (This ascription of real spiritual power to a physical relic, of course, is more a feature of a very "high-church" type of faith than of typical Protestantism; but this staunchly low-church believer didn't mind it here!)
If this novel can be said to have a flaw, it might be that the scope is too ambitious for a single book; there isn't space enough to develop each generation's story with optimum fulness. (Indeed, often the author has to "tell," through characters' memories and reflections, rather than "show," and straight narration bulks fairly large here in relation to dialogue.) In her House trilogy, the author follows the fortunes of a house through some six centuries in three books; the comparison/contrast here, where many more centuries are covered (though here, of course, many generations are left out of the picture altogether) is instructive. Nonetheless, this is still an absorbing, rewarding novel that I recommend to historical fiction fans.
Note, Sept. 3, 2014: I've just revised this review slightly, to correct some information on the historical background of St. Cerdic.
As the reasonably accurate Goodreads description above indicates, Lofts covers an enormous sweep of English history in this book, nearly 16 centuries. (The edition I read was actually a different, hardcover one; and the cover art on the edition above is misleading. It suggests a romance novel, which this isn't, and there's no couple in the book that clearly resembles the one on the cover in looks or behavior.) One of the author's last novels, it's also one of her most ambitious.
In content and style, there's much here that's typical of Lofts' work, including the Suffolk setting. The One Bull, whose history she imagines here (with fictional characters) is a real eatery, originally built in Roman times, in her beloved hometown of Bury St. Edmund, which serves as the model for Mallow here. It also serves, in many of her novels, as the model for her fictional Baildon, a town that's mentioned here once in passing. (Some readers have considered it a flaw that she created a different town here, finding it difficult to fit into actual Suffolk geography or into the imagined geography of her total Suffolk corpus, but I don't have any problem with it; IMO, readers shouldn't be too concerned with exact geographic placement of invented locations. That's an attitude probably influenced by the fact that, as a Yank, my knowledge of East Anglian geography is hazy anyway!) In real life, the One Bull does abut the ruins of an abbey; St. Cerdic here is apparently based on St. Edmund in actual Suffolk history and lore (though Edmund was martyred in 869 A.D., not 834).
Again typically for Lofts, her characters, across the span of generations (throughout which the One Bull always remains the home of one family line!) are a wide variety of personality types, with widely varying fates and fortunes. As in much of her work, her focus isn't on the makers of history, but on the common people who live through the history that gets made (suffering and dying in the wars, dealing with plague and religious upheaval, scraping out a living under a changing economic order whose changes aren't meant to benefit the many). Strong women who take charge of their own lives, do things that make a difference in their little corner of the world, and face the worst life can throw at them without flinching, aren't uncommon in Lofts novels, and several ladies here are a worthy addition to that sorority. Strong males aren't absent either. Not all of these people are wholly admirable or likeable (and some not at all); and some of their attitudes and actions can be horrendous. Lofts, as is her wont, doesn't praise or blame; she just helps us understand each person and lets us draw our own conclusions. (We can often learn a lot about life and human relationships from negative examples, as well as positive ones; but there are really positive examples here, too.) Her writing is always characterized by a recognition of both the tragedy and injustice of life in this world; bad things can (and often do) happen to good people, and sin isn't always punished, nor virtue rewarded, in this life. This isn't an argument for meaninglessness and nihilism; it's a realistic recognition that meaning and decency exist in the face of a darkness in the world that has to be taken seriously. Indeed, there is an affirmation of meaning here, most obviously in the celebration of heritage and continuity in human affairs, and of family ties. And there's also the low-key note of the transcendent; the bones of St. Cerdic, martyred in the 9th century and interred in the little church behind the One Bull, possess an ongoing power to effect genuine miracles in human lives --sometimes physical healing, but more often a bringing out of the best of what's already latent in the hearts of those who kneel or stand on the grave. (This ascription of real spiritual power to a physical relic, of course, is more a feature of a very "high-church" type of faith than of typical Protestantism; but this staunchly low-church believer didn't mind it here!)
If this novel can be said to have a flaw, it might be that the scope is too ambitious for a single book; there isn't space enough to develop each generation's story with optimum fulness. (Indeed, often the author has to "tell," through characters' memories and reflections, rather than "show," and straight narration bulks fairly large here in relation to dialogue.) In her House trilogy, the author follows the fortunes of a house through some six centuries in three books; the comparison/contrast here, where many more centuries are covered (though here, of course, many generations are left out of the picture altogether) is instructive. Nonetheless, this is still an absorbing, rewarding novel that I recommend to historical fiction fans.
April 2, 2011
Despite a salacious cover in the thumbnail of some editions (the edition I read was a bit less mills n boon in the cover art than some others) it was quite a good read. A definite forerunner to Edward Rutherford's historical novels which are about a place or family through the ages. I preferred this as with Rutherford's there was too much unrealistic repetition of events and or family traits, although both are well written otherwise. The author covers the history of a tavern and the Gildersons from Roman times to the 1970s.
If you enjoy historical fiction it is an enjoyable read.
If you enjoy historical fiction it is an enjoyable read.
May 6, 2009
I love historical fiction, and this book was wonderful because it bridged the history of a small wayside tavern and the church that is built beside it from 383 AD through 1975. The stories were enthralling as well; after each one, I found myself wanting to know how things turned out for the characters, and occasionally the following story would give some clues.
June 5, 2014
How Lofts uses place (a house, a priory, and here a tavern) to weave spell-binding stories of multi-faceted characters while also seamlessly imparting centuries of England's history is magical. When I finish one her books, I often seek out non-fiction works dealing with the periods that book covered. She is the invisible teacher provoking the student (reader) to learn more.
"A Wayside Tavern" spans 1,600 years in the life of one family's tavern--from the retreat of the Romans in the 4th century to 1975. The history that my teachers and the texts they used featured Big Events and Big People. This book, like all of Lofts' that I've read to date, paint vivid pictures of how "little people" were affected by these events and leaders, thus rendering for me a more comprehensible history. I think of this when I hear people say that they're not political. They may not be but their lives are touched and shaped immeasurably by the clashing values and beliefs that give life to political actions and decisions, whether they are conscious of that or not. This Lofts book makes this truth especially clear.
"A Wayside Tavern" spans 1,600 years in the life of one family's tavern--from the retreat of the Romans in the 4th century to 1975. The history that my teachers and the texts they used featured Big Events and Big People. This book, like all of Lofts' that I've read to date, paint vivid pictures of how "little people" were affected by these events and leaders, thus rendering for me a more comprehensible history. I think of this when I hear people say that they're not political. They may not be but their lives are touched and shaped immeasurably by the clashing values and beliefs that give life to political actions and decisions, whether they are conscious of that or not. This Lofts book makes this truth especially clear.
February 9, 2012
I have to say that I resent the cover here. It's packed full of history and this cover makes it look like a bodice ripper.
October 25, 2015
I solemnly swear that the copy I read (from the library) did not look like this! Covers like this I personally find cringe-worthy. ;)
February 6, 2017
Paulus, a crippled Roman soldier deserted by his legion at the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, and Gilda, a former slave girl - dedicate a wine shop with a mosaic-patterned floor to Mithras - the god whom the soldier worships. So it was from such humble beginnings that the 'One Bull at Mallow' was born. Yet, from the fourth century right down to present-day Suffolk, the building has remained in the hands of one particular family, known as the Gildersons. And, through the years the building has served a variety of different purposes: wine shop, ale house, coaching inn, hotel, and a pub of varying reputation - yes, the One Bull at Mallow has always provided respite for many weary travelers during its long and rich history.
Just across the inn's courtyard, stands the church of St. Cerdic, dedicated to the memory of a sixth-century martyr - someone who died at the hands of the Danes. Since its creation, the church has been closely associated with the One Bull - and St. Cerdic was venerated until the dissolution of the monasteries. His image was commemorated in a stained glass window which even a carefully hidden pig of lead couldn't protect; yet his grave, once a place of miracles, still remains a place for remarkable changes of heart.
Yet through all these centuries of upheaval - while the One Bull expands and contracts over the ages - battling for survival as a smuggling post, a secretive men's club, as well as the site of murder and suicide, it has remained in the hands of the Gilderson family throughout the generations. However, the One Bull has always represented a source of hope and disillusionment for the family as well. A Wayside Tavern is ultimately a story of survival: survival of a place, of a people, and of the legacies that they leave behind them.
I have to say that as with so many of Norah Lofts books, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I found it to have an intriguing plot that was historically accurate and that really captured my attention right from the beginning. Although having said that, I must admit that at least in my own opinion, A Wayside Tavern by Norah Lofts was perhaps not her best work. However, I would still give this book a very definite A+!
Just across the inn's courtyard, stands the church of St. Cerdic, dedicated to the memory of a sixth-century martyr - someone who died at the hands of the Danes. Since its creation, the church has been closely associated with the One Bull - and St. Cerdic was venerated until the dissolution of the monasteries. His image was commemorated in a stained glass window which even a carefully hidden pig of lead couldn't protect; yet his grave, once a place of miracles, still remains a place for remarkable changes of heart.
Yet through all these centuries of upheaval - while the One Bull expands and contracts over the ages - battling for survival as a smuggling post, a secretive men's club, as well as the site of murder and suicide, it has remained in the hands of the Gilderson family throughout the generations. However, the One Bull has always represented a source of hope and disillusionment for the family as well. A Wayside Tavern is ultimately a story of survival: survival of a place, of a people, and of the legacies that they leave behind them.
I have to say that as with so many of Norah Lofts books, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I found it to have an intriguing plot that was historically accurate and that really captured my attention right from the beginning. Although having said that, I must admit that at least in my own opinion, A Wayside Tavern by Norah Lofts was perhaps not her best work. However, I would still give this book a very definite A+!
March 20, 2016
This book is one of the very last that Lofts wrote. And it is long in page count for her "house" books. But it starts in the 4th century with the Roman's camp in Mala, Britain- so there is much of dozens of generations to tell. And Paulus, the first character in this book, IMHO, is one of the best characterizations that Lofts ever did. Down to his donning his helmet and cape at his final reveal.
It's filled with memorable characters from the most ambitious to the least changeable and for every gradient of learning and erudite desire. There are devious, dramatic, lazy, uninterested, calm, and nothing but workhorses in harness within the residents of the One Bull. Excellent emotive studies and myriads of work process and art inclusion in this one too. Loved the sections under Cromwell, and the Victorians! And it twice just barely misses obliteration as a building or a venue concern by the minutia of minutes.
But the last 2 sections lost a star for me. Lofts did NOT do modern times as well as the other. IMHO, she was too close to home. War, attachments, that style of mid-century flattens the characters to generic types without much individuality. Maybe myopic to her own time's decision making for war roles and the sobering personnel choices most made? At times it seems that particular message overcomes the more usual Lofts of far deeper characterizations. And the result, regardless- it seemed to put too much melodrama into the 1939 and 1975 groups. Melodrama without getting to "know" these 4 youngest offspring.
This is the book that begins with Mithras and ends with a religion that is merely some quasi-traditional ritual to create a funeral service. Mallow in England! Come join the pub in Suffolk.
BTW, the cover pictured here has absolutely nothing to do with the copy. This is not a romance, or a bodice ripper in any sense. Not even in a singular description. It must have been a marketing technique of the 1980's? Regardless, St. Cedric's and the One Bull Pub are the central stars of this one.
It's filled with memorable characters from the most ambitious to the least changeable and for every gradient of learning and erudite desire. There are devious, dramatic, lazy, uninterested, calm, and nothing but workhorses in harness within the residents of the One Bull. Excellent emotive studies and myriads of work process and art inclusion in this one too. Loved the sections under Cromwell, and the Victorians! And it twice just barely misses obliteration as a building or a venue concern by the minutia of minutes.
But the last 2 sections lost a star for me. Lofts did NOT do modern times as well as the other. IMHO, she was too close to home. War, attachments, that style of mid-century flattens the characters to generic types without much individuality. Maybe myopic to her own time's decision making for war roles and the sobering personnel choices most made? At times it seems that particular message overcomes the more usual Lofts of far deeper characterizations. And the result, regardless- it seemed to put too much melodrama into the 1939 and 1975 groups. Melodrama without getting to "know" these 4 youngest offspring.
This is the book that begins with Mithras and ends with a religion that is merely some quasi-traditional ritual to create a funeral service. Mallow in England! Come join the pub in Suffolk.
BTW, the cover pictured here has absolutely nothing to do with the copy. This is not a romance, or a bodice ripper in any sense. Not even in a singular description. It must have been a marketing technique of the 1980's? Regardless, St. Cedric's and the One Bull Pub are the central stars of this one.
October 6, 2017
I loved the first chapters, but just couldn't connect with the characters in the later chapters. It took me a long time to get through this, partly because of illness in my family. It may be unfair to rate it so low because of what was happening in my life.
May 29, 2017
Relentlessly grim book. Can't recommend it.
May 17, 2025
I know I’ve read Norah Lofts in the past so when I saw this book on a table that had books to take, the blurb was appealing enough to have me take it. Covering 100s of years in the same location, this book kept me reading.
October 14, 2013
== Too disjointed and distracting to be a substantive novel ==
This “novel” is comprised of many short stories all of which revolve around One Bull, a wayside tavern. The time period covered by the novel extends from the fourth century—when the last of the Romans left Britain and it was being invaded by Jutes, Angles and Saxons—till the twentieth century. The book is divided into six sections, most of which are further divided into several chapters some of which follow each other without a time gap; others leave gaps of decades or centuries. The question I kept asking myself was: “Does this format work?”
I found it to be somewhat of a frustrating read. Just as I was getting into the characters of a story it would end. More than three dozen characters play important roles but only a few are given enough descriptive pages to be allowed to fully develop in the reader’s mind. A couple dozen more characters play insignificant roles. Some chapters are good at picking up some of the threads and pieces from previous sections and chapters but others leave the reader with unanswered questions. I thought the book went adrift in the last thirty pages dated 1939 and 1975. New generations are introduced and it becomes a chore in the exchange of dialogue and narrative to keep track of who is related to whom and where and how each person has a place in the story. Does it matter at this stage? Just get it over with, please.
My verdict is that the format used by Lofts did not work out for the best. Her writing usually engages the reader with a good plot and memorable characters. A Wayside Tavern is like a sampler of what the author is capable of but from front to back it is too disjointed and distracting to be a substantive novel.
This “novel” is comprised of many short stories all of which revolve around One Bull, a wayside tavern. The time period covered by the novel extends from the fourth century—when the last of the Romans left Britain and it was being invaded by Jutes, Angles and Saxons—till the twentieth century. The book is divided into six sections, most of which are further divided into several chapters some of which follow each other without a time gap; others leave gaps of decades or centuries. The question I kept asking myself was: “Does this format work?”
I found it to be somewhat of a frustrating read. Just as I was getting into the characters of a story it would end. More than three dozen characters play important roles but only a few are given enough descriptive pages to be allowed to fully develop in the reader’s mind. A couple dozen more characters play insignificant roles. Some chapters are good at picking up some of the threads and pieces from previous sections and chapters but others leave the reader with unanswered questions. I thought the book went adrift in the last thirty pages dated 1939 and 1975. New generations are introduced and it becomes a chore in the exchange of dialogue and narrative to keep track of who is related to whom and where and how each person has a place in the story. Does it matter at this stage? Just get it over with, please.
My verdict is that the format used by Lofts did not work out for the best. Her writing usually engages the reader with a good plot and memorable characters. A Wayside Tavern is like a sampler of what the author is capable of but from front to back it is too disjointed and distracting to be a substantive novel.
July 5, 2017
I am sure if this kind of book is your cup of tea it would rate highly. It is just not the kind of book I personally enjoy. I don't mind multi-generational books but I have discovered that my patience wears thin when the story starts before the time of Christ and goes through to modern times. Modern times in this instance is the late 1970's, maybe the 80's but by then I was not paying much attention. I thought I was never going to get through this book! It was basically the history of one building and the one family that owned for generations.
August 3, 2013
Very enjoyable trip through time with Lofts' chosen spot the One Bull tavern/inn/brothel/bar (as time goes by.). From Roman times on up to 1975, with stops through the Danes, a canonization, the Middle Ages, Henry Viii, the Regency, Railroads, WWII. As always, the little snippets if history are integrated well. Fun.
February 9, 2017
I love the storytelling style of Ms. Lofts. She is able to create characters that are lifelike and interesting; and the surrounding environment is historically accurate. By linking her story to one location over time, it both extends and telescopes time. She is a once and present author whom I have enjoyed and will continue to read in the future.
August 6, 2011
i thought it was boring
April 2, 2018
Norah Lofts is just about the last author I'd expected to find myself reading, let alone enjoying. To the extent that I was aware of her I'd imagined that she wrote rubbishy historical romances that little old ladies would borrow from their local libraries along with Jean Plaidy, Catherine Cookson and Maisie Mosco. That impression has been reinforced by successive publishers packaging her books for that specific demographic.The scales fell away from my eyes after listening to the recent Backlisted podcast featuring Lucy Mangan. The book under discussion was Lofts' The Town House, which went down a storm with the hosts. Suddenly a whole new world of top notch historical fiction opened up. A Wayside Tavern was mentioned at the end of the programme as a great place to start with Norah Lofts, so I quickly tracked down a second hand copy and can now count myself as a Lofts convert.
A Wayside Tavern follows the local ale house/inn/hotel from the end of the Roman period to 1975. History for Lofts is frequently nasty, brutish or short, and frequently all three - although usually counterbalanced by moments of great joy, success or happy relationships. Her characters are completely believable and subject to all sorts of twists and turns of fate. Events have repercussions that are felt by later generations, objects that play a key role in the plot in one period turn up hundreds of years later, there are ghostly presences from the past making their influence felt in the present. All in all, Lofts' plotting, characterisation and sense of history and the impact of events, big and small, local and national or global, make for an immensely satisfying read.
A Wayside Tavern follows the local ale house/inn/hotel from the end of the Roman period to 1975. History for Lofts is frequently nasty, brutish or short, and frequently all three - although usually counterbalanced by moments of great joy, success or happy relationships. Her characters are completely believable and subject to all sorts of twists and turns of fate. Events have repercussions that are felt by later generations, objects that play a key role in the plot in one period turn up hundreds of years later, there are ghostly presences from the past making their influence felt in the present. All in all, Lofts' plotting, characterisation and sense of history and the impact of events, big and small, local and national or global, make for an immensely satisfying read.
May 29, 2018
Well what can I say. I feel like the reader who couldn't decide to give Gone with the wind fives stars or none.I was looking for historical fiction and this was recommended. It spans the life of an inn from about 340 ad to 1975.From its humble beginnings as a deserted romano inn left to a sick slave girl recovering from a still birth practically walled in, and a wounded retreating Roman soldier right up the the last generation who take it on.
The characters all the way down are the same family more or less, it's fascinating and it is well written but the trauma. WE have beheadings , torture, rape, invasion, wife beaters , unloving mothers , poisonings, 'accidental' roof collapse murder infidelity and many unhappy endings. These trials especially beset the women and if one has a happy marriage they die of something fever or being trampled by a bull and for goodness sake will someone please investigate the tudor ghost lady writing and stop assuming she is deaf.
I am reading Georgette heyer at the moment and can't stand the tragic stories.So I had to read it I had to see how it finished but I did not enjoy it too much. That's the first time I have been so engrossed in something I didn't enjoy BUT really appreciate what a good storyteller she is and what a great historical writer.Okay I will give 4 stars a compromise.ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE FOR GREAT HISTORICAL WRITERS like Heyer or who are light and not violent or tragic please!!
The characters all the way down are the same family more or less, it's fascinating and it is well written but the trauma. WE have beheadings , torture, rape, invasion, wife beaters , unloving mothers , poisonings, 'accidental' roof collapse murder infidelity and many unhappy endings. These trials especially beset the women and if one has a happy marriage they die of something fever or being trampled by a bull and for goodness sake will someone please investigate the tudor ghost lady writing and stop assuming she is deaf.
I am reading Georgette heyer at the moment and can't stand the tragic stories.So I had to read it I had to see how it finished but I did not enjoy it too much. That's the first time I have been so engrossed in something I didn't enjoy BUT really appreciate what a good storyteller she is and what a great historical writer.Okay I will give 4 stars a compromise.ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE FOR GREAT HISTORICAL WRITERS like Heyer or who are light and not violent or tragic please!!
December 1, 2024
A Wayside Tavern is historical fiction, and the main character is a little tavern built by Romans, situated next to a tiny abbey. Throughout centuries, the tavern is owned and run by descendants of a single family.
I enjoyed the walk through the ages with the proprietors and inhabitants of the house, right up until the last couple of pages. Removed a star for the disturbing and wholly unnecessary relationship at the end, which pissed me right off and spoiled the book for me.
I enjoyed the walk through the ages with the proprietors and inhabitants of the house, right up until the last couple of pages. Removed a star for the disturbing and wholly unnecessary relationship at the end, which pissed me right off and spoiled the book for me.
November 2, 2017
It is not a fast paced book but goes through the many family members who owned the inn. It’s a very good historical novel and is quite detailed in many respects but jumps over the years and the people quickly.
I have enjoyed the book and am glad that you can put it down and go Back to it easily as it changes time periods.
I have enjoyed the book and am glad that you can put it down and go Back to it easily as it changes time periods.
February 7, 2022
This is another one of my Mum's old hard backs. Really good - I can see why she liked it. I enjoyed the historical look at the life and loves of generations of one family trying to hold onto the Inn and their livelihood across the ages.
August 7, 2023
I'd looked forward to this for a long time but didn't find it as captivating as I had hoped it would be, or as some of Norah's other books are. It doesn't touch the House at the Old Vine series which is astounding; or even Jassy, or Scent of Cloves. It was just okay.
August 26, 2017
Probably my fave historic novel! Tells the stories of people whose lives touch upon a roadside inn in Suffolk, from Roman to contemporary times.
October 16, 2017
Don’t be put off by the silly cover art. This is a great book.
February 3, 2018
I loved this book. It tells the story of a tavern in Britain from around 350 AD to 1975 and the lives of the family who own it. Wonderful book for lovers of historical fiction.
April 7, 2018
I've read this book several times. It's about a family running a tavern in England from Roman times up to 1975. I don't know why the mass market paperback makes it look like it's a bodice ripper.
August 12, 2019
3.5 because I had trouble keeping many of the names straight, but quite enjoyable. I will look for more from this author.
April 15, 2023
Much like her other historical novels. Reminds of the Old House series. Gives a good look at history of the area of Suffolk.
January 22, 2025
Very cool book that follows a tavern and a family through multi generations of ownership. Very nice story line and great characters.
August 10, 2016
I adored this book when I first read it as a teen. It was my introduction to Norah Lofts, who remains one of my favorite storytellers. As with many of her works,in A Wayside Tavern Lofts takes one place and tells the story of the people who lived there over the course of centuries. The book is a great place to start if you love historical fiction but don't know if you'll love Norah Lofts.
Lofts is one of those writers who shifts narrators often-- even in the stories that don't span decades-- and I consider it a testament to her characters that while I'm always initially frustrated that one narrator is gone, soon I'm as fond of the replacement as I was the original. Kind of like how when Season 2 of The Wire starts off with those dock workers, and you're like "WHAT?! WHERE ARE STRINGER AND AVON?!" and you panic. But then you watch another episode and you're like "Oh, okay. This is great, too."
Lofts is one of those writers who shifts narrators often-- even in the stories that don't span decades-- and I consider it a testament to her characters that while I'm always initially frustrated that one narrator is gone, soon I'm as fond of the replacement as I was the original. Kind of like how when Season 2 of The Wire starts off with those dock workers, and you're like "WHAT?! WHERE ARE STRINGER AND AVON?!" and you panic. But then you watch another episode and you're like "Oh, okay. This is great, too."
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