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High Garth
When Ann Beverley accepted a rather unusual post in a remote Yorkshire dale, she had to deal with many unexpected difficulties. The work was hard, but she fell in love with the wild beauty of the countryside and with a way of life that suited her independent spirit. Unfortunately, she also fell in love with her employer, and the obstacles in the path of romance were formidable...
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 21, 2021
Patrick Delvercourt, a sheep farmer in a remote area of Yorkshire, England, was in desperate need of help. The women who had responded to his advertised post were either without concern or never showed up. While at the inn and before the evening was over, he had overheard a young woman quietly sobbing. She had been dismissed from her employment so he took a chance and approached her.
"My housekeeper, though quite indomitable, is too frail for the perpetual drudgery of a primitive farmhouse. But whoever undertakes to relieve her of the heavier work must also manage to persuade her that she is still quite indispensable and submit patiently to her occasional crotchets. Just in case this is not asking enough, there is also my small brother who stands in sore need of companionship, correction and instruction, not to mention the whole time services of a guardian angel with sufficient foresight to outpace his ingenious brain. Show me a woman willing to undertake such a labour and I will tell you that her price is above rubies. I, on the other hand, can offer a beggarly twenty five pounds a year, the help of two young maids, willing enough but wholly untrained, and no comforts whatsoever. Do you wonder that I doubt the possibility of the lady's existence?"
Twenty-four-years old and well-educated, Ann Beverley was in need of money. Her decision to accept the position was not made rashly. Once she lived at High Garth, she questioned herself on more than one occasion that she might be in over her head. And dear Patrick: employer one minute and friend the next. His path to true love was rocky at best, mostly because of pride. It also didn't help that both of the MCs had a bit of a temper but, thank goodness, neither person let their anger fester for long.
The plot both trotted and plodded, purred and slurred. Heavy with history, their romance moved slowly. I had no problem with this because the wordage was reminiscent of the era. I felt as though I was a guest of the cottage, viewing every activity as it occurred. The author included several authentic morsels (Rumford stove, Yordas cave, the railways) that had me googling as I read the story.
I did have a few minor vexations with the paperback version that I read. On the cover it said that it was A Victorian Love Story. Unfortunately, I had no idea if it took place in 1838 or 1892. When I read historical fiction, I relish knowing the year. There was a minor editing issue where Ann Beverly suddenly became Ann Beverley. Lastly, the age of Patrick was never revealed. I know, I know, you are probably telling yourself, Linda, get over it! But I always like knowing the ages of the H and h when I read a romance. All in all, this was a thoughtful slice-of-life tale with a romantic undertow.
Author's Note:
Those who know the Yorkshire Dales will find themselves on familiar ground. The place has not changed so much in 150 years. But High Garth and the people who live there, and the sink hole known as the Gullet, exist only in the author's imagination. -M.S. (1977)
"My housekeeper, though quite indomitable, is too frail for the perpetual drudgery of a primitive farmhouse. But whoever undertakes to relieve her of the heavier work must also manage to persuade her that she is still quite indispensable and submit patiently to her occasional crotchets. Just in case this is not asking enough, there is also my small brother who stands in sore need of companionship, correction and instruction, not to mention the whole time services of a guardian angel with sufficient foresight to outpace his ingenious brain. Show me a woman willing to undertake such a labour and I will tell you that her price is above rubies. I, on the other hand, can offer a beggarly twenty five pounds a year, the help of two young maids, willing enough but wholly untrained, and no comforts whatsoever. Do you wonder that I doubt the possibility of the lady's existence?"
Twenty-four-years old and well-educated, Ann Beverley was in need of money. Her decision to accept the position was not made rashly. Once she lived at High Garth, she questioned herself on more than one occasion that she might be in over her head. And dear Patrick: employer one minute and friend the next. His path to true love was rocky at best, mostly because of pride. It also didn't help that both of the MCs had a bit of a temper but, thank goodness, neither person let their anger fester for long.
The plot both trotted and plodded, purred and slurred. Heavy with history, their romance moved slowly. I had no problem with this because the wordage was reminiscent of the era. I felt as though I was a guest of the cottage, viewing every activity as it occurred. The author included several authentic morsels (Rumford stove, Yordas cave, the railways) that had me googling as I read the story.
I did have a few minor vexations with the paperback version that I read. On the cover it said that it was A Victorian Love Story. Unfortunately, I had no idea if it took place in 1838 or 1892. When I read historical fiction, I relish knowing the year. There was a minor editing issue where Ann Beverly suddenly became Ann Beverley. Lastly, the age of Patrick was never revealed. I know, I know, you are probably telling yourself, Linda, get over it! But I always like knowing the ages of the H and h when I read a romance. All in all, this was a thoughtful slice-of-life tale with a romantic undertow.
Author's Note:
Those who know the Yorkshire Dales will find themselves on familiar ground. The place has not changed so much in 150 years. But High Garth and the people who live there, and the sink hole known as the Gullet, exist only in the author's imagination. -M.S. (1977)
April 11, 2022
I didn't know what to expect as this is a new-to-me author, but it was only 99¢ on Amazon, so I bought it straight away since the cover and blurb look interesting (I'm on a governess trope streak, so this was appealing to me). I also thought it would be interesting to read as the author wrote it in the 70s. I have always had fond memories of books written during that period. I found the writing more historically rich than the books that passed as historical romance nowadays. I wasn't wrong in that respect. The environment was richly described (I think my knowledge of cooking and farming during that period has been greatly improved). The romance is there but rather under-stated. The story is pretty straightforward.
There are a couple of side characters here (Philip - the younger brother, Janet - the old housekeeper, the twins - housemaids, Mr Fortune- Ann's stepfather, etc). I feel the side characters weren't fleshed out enough, so I didn't quite get the feel of them.
Although the romance is understated, what's there is pretty sweet. The writing, at times, made me feel detached from the story. I think it was a bit flat at times.
The book is descriptive, so it can feel a tad boring if you're not in the right headspace. For 99¢, this was a worthwhile purchase. I am definitely interested to read more from this author whenever I'm in the mood for historical fiction with a bit of romance.
Steam factor: Nil. Kisses only.
There are a couple of side characters here (Philip - the younger brother, Janet - the old housekeeper, the twins - housemaids, Mr Fortune- Ann's stepfather, etc). I feel the side characters weren't fleshed out enough, so I didn't quite get the feel of them.
Although the romance is understated, what's there is pretty sweet. The writing, at times, made me feel detached from the story. I think it was a bit flat at times.
The book is descriptive, so it can feel a tad boring if you're not in the right headspace. For 99¢, this was a worthwhile purchase. I am definitely interested to read more from this author whenever I'm in the mood for historical fiction with a bit of romance.
Steam factor: Nil. Kisses only.
June 27, 2017
A Facebook friend recommended this book and it's been in my TBR for months.
Patrick Delvercourt was the eldest son and expected to inherit his father's estate, but his father sold everything not entailed, which was practically all the land. So Patrick basically inherited a big country house without any means to maintain it. His only option was to let it out. Instead, he, along with his 5-year old brother and a few family retainers, moved to a farmhouse that had been owned by his maternal grandfather, and did his best to make a living by farming.
Patrick's little brother needed some education and the farm's remote location necessitates hiring a governess. He also needs a housekeeper, since Janet, the current one, is getting elderly and needs assistance.
Quite by chance, Patrick encounters Ann Beverley and offers her the housekeeper-cum-governess position. Ann's father died when she was young; her mother remarried and then she herself died a few years later. Ann's sister is engaged, but Ann has no immediate prospects and she doesn't wish to remain in her stepfather's home. Therefore she accepts Mr. Delvercourt's offer.
The romance between Ann and Patrick develops slowly over the spring and summer. The obstacle to their HEA is a bit weak, but the real gem lies in the descriptive passages of the setting (the Yorkshire dales and fells) and the secondary characterizations. The love story is a very sweet one. Ann's stepfather appears quite late in the book, but plays a big part in bringing a resolution.
Patrick Delvercourt was the eldest son and expected to inherit his father's estate, but his father sold everything not entailed, which was practically all the land. So Patrick basically inherited a big country house without any means to maintain it. His only option was to let it out. Instead, he, along with his 5-year old brother and a few family retainers, moved to a farmhouse that had been owned by his maternal grandfather, and did his best to make a living by farming.
Patrick's little brother needed some education and the farm's remote location necessitates hiring a governess. He also needs a housekeeper, since Janet, the current one, is getting elderly and needs assistance.
Quite by chance, Patrick encounters Ann Beverley and offers her the housekeeper-cum-governess position. Ann's father died when she was young; her mother remarried and then she herself died a few years later. Ann's sister is engaged, but Ann has no immediate prospects and she doesn't wish to remain in her stepfather's home. Therefore she accepts Mr. Delvercourt's offer.
The romance between Ann and Patrick develops slowly over the spring and summer. The obstacle to their HEA is a bit weak, but the real gem lies in the descriptive passages of the setting (the Yorkshire dales and fells) and the secondary characterizations. The love story is a very sweet one. Ann's stepfather appears quite late in the book, but plays a big part in bringing a resolution.
October 31, 2018
4.25 stars - Mild pg13 (secular “clean” traditional regency – possible use of: mild cursing/profanity, innuendo, mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. -- see below)
Slow-ish first half (good! -- but slow) and then a faster, very-engaged second half. It’s mainly a charming story of the hardscrabble farming life in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales, but also small parts of the story touched on the more typical parties and lifestyle of the Upper Crust. The romance in the first half was believable (and probably realistic), but because very little interaction was shown I didn’t really feel the love growing. The second half was stronger in the romance department.
I learned a new term: “stravaiging” -- A Scottish and Northern England term that means to wander about somewhat aimlessly, with no set purpose other than to enjoy the walking.
I loved these terms/phrases: “giddy-pated” - & - “sweet and sound as a pippin”
I discovered a new candy: “all stripey like a peppermint humbug”
I really enjoyed the heroine’s
(Fairly typical secular “clean” traditional regency. I did not make any notation of God’s name being taken in vain. However, I did note a very occasional use of the expletive “damn”. There was brief mention that an employer “fondled the bosom” of an employee. One nasty woman called someone else a “little slut”. Story briefly touched on an Irish gypsy traveling pedlar who was telling fortunes. I think that was it for anything that might be objectionable to folks.)
I bought High Garth based on Linda’s much more comprehensive review.
I’ve enjoyed several of Mira Stables’ books (Honey-Pot, Stranger Within the Gates, Miss Mouse, The Swynden Necklace: A Georgian Romance).
Slow-ish first half (good! -- but slow) and then a faster, very-engaged second half. It’s mainly a charming story of the hardscrabble farming life in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales, but also small parts of the story touched on the more typical parties and lifestyle of the Upper Crust. The romance in the first half was believable (and probably realistic), but because very little interaction was shown I didn’t really feel the love growing. The second half was stronger in the romance department.
I learned a new term: “stravaiging” -- A Scottish and Northern England term that means to wander about somewhat aimlessly, with no set purpose other than to enjoy the walking.
I loved these terms/phrases: “giddy-pated” - & - “sweet and sound as a pippin”
I discovered a new candy: “all stripey like a peppermint humbug”
I really enjoyed the heroine’s
(Fairly typical secular “clean” traditional regency. I did not make any notation of God’s name being taken in vain. However, I did note a very occasional use of the expletive “damn”. There was brief mention that an employer “fondled the bosom” of an employee. One nasty woman called someone else a “little slut”. Story briefly touched on an Irish gypsy traveling pedlar who was telling fortunes. I think that was it for anything that might be objectionable to folks.)
I bought High Garth based on Linda’s much more comprehensive review.
I’ve enjoyed several of Mira Stables’ books (Honey-Pot, Stranger Within the Gates, Miss Mouse, The Swynden Necklace: A Georgian Romance).
August 30, 2018
An independent lady goes to
work as a housekeeper/governess in an isolated area. An interesting cast of characters and no one evil or wicked. I especially liked the stepfather and the uncle.
work as a housekeeper/governess in an isolated area. An interesting cast of characters and no one evil or wicked. I especially liked the stepfather and the uncle.
March 30, 2022
Thanks to Lume Books (formerly Endeavor) for re~introducing Mira Stables into the genre of Historical Romance... for this author has a good and empathetic grasp of what it takes to write a Romance with Depth and Grace... and for me, she has a most Unique ability to slightly tweak the heart~strings... for she gives us a True hero... a sensitive and caring brother who tempers his affection to his much younger half~brother with firm discipline... treats his employees with affection and respect... he is fair in his dealings with people... loving and considerate to his chosen wife and yet capable of human flaws that endeared and made him more real to readers. Such is the character of Patrick Delvercourt, master of High Garth who was once scarred by loving and trusting a worthless beautiful selfish gold~digger and thus emerged seasoned and more discerning for his True Fate. In retrospect, most of Ms. Stables' heroes are like Patrick Delvercourt... true gentlemen yet also human. I first read this one in the 1990's about the time I started collecting this author's works in keeping with my usual practice of binge reading on a well~loved author's works.
May 14, 2022
Patrick Delvercourt needed a housekeeper and companion for his young brother, Philip, at his very remote and somewhat primitive home in Yorkshire. Ann Beverly is in transit from her most recent post to her sister's home when she encounters Patrick at an inn and he offers her the position. Ann accepts the position and ventures into the "wilds" where she finds a place that feels like home to her, despite her upbringing as a lady in her step-father's household. Patrick is also gently born, but chose the harder life of a farmer. The two are a good match, but it takes some time and energy to get them both to realize it so that they can get their HEA.
Clean, interesting story of a time and place not usually written about.
Clean, interesting story of a time and place not usually written about.
April 11, 2022
High Garth
This is not your usual Regency/Victorian (?) novel where the young heroine is going from Ball to Ball but where she voluntarily chooses to become a housekeeper, governess and farmer to a farm in a nearly inaccessible spot in the highlands of England. It was more interesting to see her travails with this new life. It didn’t blow my socks off so that is why I gave it a 4/5 but it’s a good solid book to read. I would have given it a 4.5 but there are no half points in reviewing a book. And why not?
This is not your usual Regency/Victorian (?) novel where the young heroine is going from Ball to Ball but where she voluntarily chooses to become a housekeeper, governess and farmer to a farm in a nearly inaccessible spot in the highlands of England. It was more interesting to see her travails with this new life. It didn’t blow my socks off so that is why I gave it a 4/5 but it’s a good solid book to read. I would have given it a 4.5 but there are no half points in reviewing a book. And why not?
August 24, 2023
This was a fine story with some fund subtle humor, but it was not exactly a favorite. The story was told in such a way that I did not feel connected to any of the characters, and one of the main characters had semi-frequent irrational outbursts of anger that just seemed plain odd to me. It also ended very abruptly.
November 21, 2018
4.5
kindle unlimited.
Very nice. Best of all Mira stables books I have read.
Farmer hero and house keeper heroine was very nice.
Hero’s pride was a tad more than acceptable, still believable.
Felt book to be a bit longer than what was good.
kindle unlimited.
Very nice. Best of all Mira stables books I have read.
Farmer hero and house keeper heroine was very nice.
Hero’s pride was a tad more than acceptable, still believable.
Felt book to be a bit longer than what was good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
Excellent
Very nice read. Best of all the books by the author.
Hero and heroine were interesting.
High Garth was interesting to imagine as well 😊
Very nice read. Best of all the books by the author.
Hero and heroine were interesting.
High Garth was interesting to imagine as well 😊
October 7, 2021
A true vintage regency. The kind I loved when I first started reading them 60+ years ago. I still do.
April 16, 2022
A quiet, character driven story of the regency period with nice imagery and world building in the Yorkshire moors.
November 7, 2022
Very good read
I just love Mira stables books..it's creates a world within this world full of love and laughter..a dream world replacing fairy tales
I just love Mira stables books..it's creates a world within this world full of love and laughter..a dream world replacing fairy tales
June 25, 2023
It's nice to read an English romance where it doesn't center around the nobility.
December 15, 2023
Something like what we'd get if Heyer wrote Victorian novels.
December 7, 2021
I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, because so many people whose opinions I respect love it and recommended it to me. Well, now I’ve read it and… meh. If you like lyrical descriptions of a rather idealised life on a remote Yorkshire farm, this is definitely the book for you. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a compelling romance with credible obstacles to overcome and actual tension between the couple, best look elsewhere.
Here’s the premise: Patrick Delvercourt is struggling to make a go of his small farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, after he inherited a house but no money. With the house let to tenants, he has to make a go of the farm, with the help of a small number of loyal workers. But his housekeeper is becoming too frail for the work, and there’s his young brother to be watched over and given some education. His attempts to advertise for a housekeeper-cum-governess have fallen apart when the women discover just how isolated and primitive the farm is. But Patrick has the good fortune to stumble across Ann Beverley, clearly a lady, but reduced to governessing and newly dismissed from her post. Cautiously, the two agree to give it a try.
The early part of the book is a paean to the beauties of Yorkshire, and a detailed description of just how farming people lived in whatever year this is set (I’m not sure whether it’s Regency or Victorian, to be honest). It’s interesting, but frankly it doesn’t move the plot along very much. I’m all in favour of a bit of description, but I do like something to actually happen as well. But this part of the book is all about describing just how beautiful Yorkshire is (yes, we got that) and establishing the relationships. There’s nothing to dislike about it, but it didn’t set me on fire, either.
The middle part picks up a bit with the reveal that the tenant of the house he inherited is none other than Patrick’s lost love, the woman he nearly married before losing his house and fortune. She promptly married someone else, and rented Patrick’s house (which was why she wanted to marry him in the first place). So now she’s his nearest neighbour and a perpetual reminder of what he’s lost. She’s also a cow of the first degree, so he’s better off without her, frankly, which he’s surely smart enough to see. She’s typifies one of the major problems with the book, in fact, which is that all the characters are either too good to be true or out and out villains. It’s true that Patrick and Ann are not without flaws, but they are sneakily positive flaws like pride and being over-sensitive about matters of rank and fortune.
And here in a nutshell is the biggest problem I found - that there is no real obstacle to the romance at all, apart from the aforesaid pride and a perceived discrepancy of rank. There’s some slight tension between them at times, but it’s largely because of misunderstandings (yes, that old chestnut), and therefore not very convincing. And there’s a major fail in all this, in that both hero and heroine are keeping big secrets from each other, and one of them, at least, would remove every vestige of an obstacle at a stroke, if it were revealed. But that would spoil the story, so it isn’t revealed until the very end. I can’t tell you how annoyed I was by it.** (Spoiler below, if you want it.)
I have one other quibble. Ann left home to be a governess largely because her vastly rich stepfather was so horrible to her. But then at the end of the book he turns up, is as nice as pie to everyone, essentially engineers the marriage and gives Ann a tidy dowry as well! Believable? Not in the slightest.
Despite all this, I have to confess that there was a lot that I enjoyed about the book. Ann and Patrick were both lovely, sympathetic characters, pride and secrets notwithstanding, and little Philip was fun. There were even moments when the lyrical descriptions quite won me over. Still, the lack of much plot, the implausibility of the stepfather’s change of heart and that huge secret kept me from unreserved enjoyment. With any other writer, I might give this three stars, but I’m a huge fan of Mira Stables in general and the quality of the writing gets it four stars.
**
Here’s the premise: Patrick Delvercourt is struggling to make a go of his small farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, after he inherited a house but no money. With the house let to tenants, he has to make a go of the farm, with the help of a small number of loyal workers. But his housekeeper is becoming too frail for the work, and there’s his young brother to be watched over and given some education. His attempts to advertise for a housekeeper-cum-governess have fallen apart when the women discover just how isolated and primitive the farm is. But Patrick has the good fortune to stumble across Ann Beverley, clearly a lady, but reduced to governessing and newly dismissed from her post. Cautiously, the two agree to give it a try.
The early part of the book is a paean to the beauties of Yorkshire, and a detailed description of just how farming people lived in whatever year this is set (I’m not sure whether it’s Regency or Victorian, to be honest). It’s interesting, but frankly it doesn’t move the plot along very much. I’m all in favour of a bit of description, but I do like something to actually happen as well. But this part of the book is all about describing just how beautiful Yorkshire is (yes, we got that) and establishing the relationships. There’s nothing to dislike about it, but it didn’t set me on fire, either.
The middle part picks up a bit with the reveal that the tenant of the house he inherited is none other than Patrick’s lost love, the woman he nearly married before losing his house and fortune. She promptly married someone else, and rented Patrick’s house (which was why she wanted to marry him in the first place). So now she’s his nearest neighbour and a perpetual reminder of what he’s lost. She’s also a cow of the first degree, so he’s better off without her, frankly, which he’s surely smart enough to see. She’s typifies one of the major problems with the book, in fact, which is that all the characters are either too good to be true or out and out villains. It’s true that Patrick and Ann are not without flaws, but they are sneakily positive flaws like pride and being over-sensitive about matters of rank and fortune.
And here in a nutshell is the biggest problem I found - that there is no real obstacle to the romance at all, apart from the aforesaid pride and a perceived discrepancy of rank. There’s some slight tension between them at times, but it’s largely because of misunderstandings (yes, that old chestnut), and therefore not very convincing. And there’s a major fail in all this, in that both hero and heroine are keeping big secrets from each other, and one of them, at least, would remove every vestige of an obstacle at a stroke, if it were revealed. But that would spoil the story, so it isn’t revealed until the very end. I can’t tell you how annoyed I was by it.** (Spoiler below, if you want it.)
I have one other quibble. Ann left home to be a governess largely because her vastly rich stepfather was so horrible to her. But then at the end of the book he turns up, is as nice as pie to everyone, essentially engineers the marriage and gives Ann a tidy dowry as well! Believable? Not in the slightest.
Despite all this, I have to confess that there was a lot that I enjoyed about the book. Ann and Patrick were both lovely, sympathetic characters, pride and secrets notwithstanding, and little Philip was fun. There were even moments when the lyrical descriptions quite won me over. Still, the lack of much plot, the implausibility of the stepfather’s change of heart and that huge secret kept me from unreserved enjoyment. With any other writer, I might give this three stars, but I’m a huge fan of Mira Stables in general and the quality of the writing gets it four stars.
**
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