D.E. Stevenson – författare

Iain stood for a few minutes on the little bridge that crossed the burn and looked at the house—he felt that he had betrayed it. No people save his own had ever lived in the house, and now he had sold it into slavery. For three months it would shelter strangers beneath its roof, for three months it would not belong to him.

Despite his passionate love for Ardfalloch, Iain has been driven to let his home and estate to Mr Hetherington Smith, a wealthy London businessman, and his kindly wife (who was, truth be told, happier when they were poor).

MacAslan stays on in a cottage by the loch, aided by his devoted keeper Donald and Donald’s wife Morag. But he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Linda Medworth and her young son, invited to Ardfalloch by Mrs Hetherington Smith. Lush Highland scenery and a ruined castle set the stage for a mystery, and tension builds to a shocking conclusion.

Smouldering Fire was first published in the U.K. in 1935 and in the U.S. in 1938. Later reprints were all heavily abridged. For our reprint, Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press have followed the text of the first U.K. edition, and are proud to be producing the first complete, unabridged edition of the novel in eighty years.

“A charming love story set in the romantic Scottish highlands, with plenty of local colour, a handsome hero, a lonely, lovely heroine and a curious mystery into the bargain.” Sunday Mercury

“A tale in which those who love the Highlands will delight, for the minor characters are gloriously alive and the atmosphere is profoundly right.” Punch

Frances was free. She had enough money for her holiday, and when it was over she would find useful work. Her plans were vague, but she would have plenty of time to think things out when she got to Cairn. One thing only was certain—she was never going back to prison again.

Young Frances Field arrives in a scenic coastal village in Scotland, having escaped her dreary life as an orphan treated as little more than a servant by an uncle and aunt. Once there, she encounters an array of eccentric locals, the occasional roar of enemy planes overhead, and three army wives—Elise, Tommy, and Tillie—who become fast friends. Elise warns Frances of the discomforts of military life, but she’s inclined to disregard the advice when she meets the dashing and charming Captain Guy Tarlatan.

The ensuing tale, one of D.E. Stevenson’s most cheerful and satisfying, is complicated by a local laird with a shady reputation, a Colonel’s daughter who's a bit too cosy with Guy, a spring reputed to guarantee marriage within a year to those who drink from it, and a series of misunderstandings only finally resolved in the novel’s harrowing climax.

Spring Magic, first published in 1942, is here reprinted for the first time in more than three decades. Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press are also reprinting four more of Stevenson's best works—Smouldering Fire, Mrs. Tim Carries On, Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, and Mrs. Tim Flies Home. This new edition includes an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“The author tells of what befell a young woman who, while on a seaside holiday in Scotland, enters the social life surrounding a battalion of troops and of how she found personal happiness. Lively and charming.” Sunday Mercury

“The cheeriest company . . . charmingly told” Sunday Times

There is so much War News in News Bulletins, in Newspapers, and so much talk about the war that I do not intend to write about it in my diary. Indeed my diary is a sort of escape from the war . . . though it is almost impossible to escape from the anxieties which it brings.

Bestselling author D.E. Stevenson’s charming fictional alter-ego, Hester Christie—or “Mrs. Tim” as she is affectionately known to friends of her military husband—was first introduced to readers in Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, published in 1932. In 1941, Stevenson brought Mrs. Tim back in this delightful sequel, to lift spirits and boost morale in the early days of World War II.

With her husband stationed in France, Hester finds plenty to keep her busy on the Home Front. From her first air raid and a harrowing but hilarious false alarm about a German invasion, to volunteering at the regiment’s “Comforts Depot,” guiding the romantic destinies of her pretty houseguest and an injured soldier, and making a flying visit to a blacked-out, slightly bedraggled London with its fighting spirit intact, Mrs. Tim does indeed carry on—in inimitable style.

Mrs. Tim returns in two subsequent novels, Mrs Tim Gets a Job (1947) and Mrs Tim Flies Home (1952), all back in print for the first time in decades from Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press. This new edition features an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“She admirably preserves her lightness of touch, with a tinge of melancholy added, which perfectly suits the mood of 1940.” Glasgow Herald

“This is not merely a war book to which cheerfulness keeps breaking in, it is a book of cheerfulness from which the war cannot be kept out . . . Major Tim’s amazing escape from Dunkirk is high drama superbly handled, and her word pictures are both lifelike and lively.” Manchester Evening News

Miss Clutterbuck would like me to run the bar—no, it can’t be that—run the car, which has seen its best days but is still useful for shopping. Grace has told her I am patient and tactful, so (as she herself is neither the one nor the other) she thinks I am the right person to look after the social side.

With husband Tim stationed in Egypt and her children at boarding-school, Hester Christie—affectionately known as “Mrs. Tim” and based loosely on D.E. Stevenson herself—finds herself at loose ends, until her friend Grace takes her at her word and finds her a job with the formidable Erica Clutterbuck, who has opened a new hotel in the Scottish Borders.

Once there, Hester’s initial ambivalence disappears in a swirl of problems and situations with hotel guests and old friends alike, including serving as fortune teller at the local fête and aiding and abetting romantic schemes, not to mention the reappearance of the debonair Tony Morley.

This volume, first published in 1947, is a sequel to Mrs. Tim Carries On and brings Hester into the immediate post-war years. Her exploits continue in Mrs. Tim Flies Home. All three titles are back in print for the first time in decades from Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press. This edition includes a new introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“D.E. Stevenson brings back Mrs. Tim after some years’ silence, and here she is the same charming, witty woman, a little older, a little wiser but just as busy as ever.” Edinburgh Evening News

“It is a delightful book, and long may Mrs Tim flourish!” Sunday Times

Sometimes it is difficult to see clearly in what direction one’s duty lies (and especially difficult for people like myself with a husband in one part of the world and children in another) but Tim and I, talking it over together in cold blood, decided that I ought to go home.

Hester Christie, the delightful heroine last met in Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, has spent a blissful 18 months living in Kenya where husband Tim is posted. But now it’s back to England to be with her two nearly grown children. She rents a house near the village of Old Quinings in England’s North Country, and plans a quiet summer with the children near the inn owned by her beloved former maid Annie and her husband.

But things are never quiet for long with Mrs. Tim, and she must navigate curious neighbours, a dishonest landlady, and a troublesome travel companion who makes an unwelcome appearance in Old Quinings, not to mention a bit of intrigue and—as usual for Hester—a bit of matchmaking for young lovers.

Mrs. Tim Flies Home, first published in 1952, concludes D.E. Stevenson’s much-loved Mrs. Tim series. Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press have also reprinted Mrs. Tim Carries On and Mrs. Tim Gets a Job. This new edition includes an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“Another charming romance . . . Strongly recommended for pleasurable reading.” Edinburgh Evening News

Caroline opened the door and saw Mr. Shepperton standing on the step. “Oh, it’s you!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Did you—were you expecting someone else?” he asked.

“Only the Queen,” replied Caroline, chuckling. “Don’t mind me,” she added. “I often go slightly mad.”

Caroline Dering, a widow with three grown children, lives a cheerful, quiet life near the idyllic English village of Ashbridge. But things are about to liven up, as daughter Leda announces a problematic engagement to the son of the local squire, son James returns from service and pursues romance with the squire’s independent daughter, and sister Harriet, a famous actress who latest play has bombed, retreats to Ashbridge for a break. Then there’s Robert Shepperton, a charming widower recovering from the losses of war at the local inn . . .

These problems, as well as smaller challenges with an overbearing village organizer, the blustering Sir Michael, and Caroline’s daily help (“who rejoices in the name of Comfort Podbury”), are resolved with all of D.E. Stevenson’s flair for gentle humour, clever plotting, and characters who walk right off the page.

Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press have also reprinted Music in the Hills and Winter and Rough Weather, which continue the stories of some of the characters from Vittoria Cottage. All the novels feature an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“A well-balanced novel that moves swiftly enough for any taste.” Manchester Evening News

“It is a family novel, and few writers can do this sort of thing better than Miss Stevenson.” Glasgow Herald

“I like Mureth,” declared Lady Shaw. “There’s something about Mureth.”

“It does things to people,” Mamie agreed.

Lady Shaw considered this. It sounded silly, but was it really silly. People said that Mamie Johnstone was a fool, and it was true that sometimes she said things that sounded foolish … but the things she did were wise.

Mamie Johnstone, sister of Caroline Dering whom we met in Vittoria Cottage, and her husband Jock are popular figures in the village of Mureth, not far from the town of Drumburly in the Scottish Borders. Jock and Mamie have no children to inherit their farm, so they have adopted Caroline’s son James. But James arrives at Mureth a bit shell-shocked from having proposed to Rhoda Ware, a successful London artist he has loved for years, and being refused. James buries himself in farming with Jock, and takes comfort in the company of Holly Douglas, a niece of the local gentry.

Fortunately for all involved, there is Mamie to do wise things and ensure that all is put right in the end! This new edition features an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“Mistress of the light novel” The Times

“I’m not really worrying, but it’s very isolated. Boscath is like an island in some ways.”

“I see what you mean,” nodded Jock.

“And Rhoda isn’t used to islands.”

James Dering and his new wife Rhoda are returning from their honeymoon, and Jock and Mamie Johnstone are delighted to welcome them to their new home on a neighbouring farm. But Mamie’s concern proves justified, and Rhoda, a talented painter who has chosen marriage over art, finds rural Scotland lonely after life in London. She soon finds new inspiration in the beauty around her, and in the process gives the bright but difficult young Duggie a new lease on life. But her art will also uncover secrets, and lead to dramatic, far-reaching consequences for those around her.

In this novel, in which characters from Vittoria Cottage and Music in the Hills recur, D.E. Stevenson wonderfully evokes the chill and bluster of winter in the Scottish Borders, contrasted with the warmth and charm of her irresistible characters. This new edition features an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

“Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things.” Western Mail

"There''s something . . . I mean we simply must see Miss Fortune now. She isn''t in bed, is she?"

"No, she ain''t," said Nannie grimly. "She ought to be, but she ain''t, an'' you shall see ''er. Ho, yes you shall! Both of you shall see ''er before you''re any older."

The village of Dingleford is all aquiver with the arrival of lovely young Miss Fortune with plans to open a tea house. Captain Charles Weatherby, just back from India, has "no use for bright little creatures no matter how long their eyelashes might be," but his perspective shifts when they actually meet (much to his mother''s secret delight). The interest of Harold Prestcott, perpetual doormat to a smothering mother, is also piqued, much to her bitter chagrin. And when Miss Fortune''s sister arrives in the village, soon pursued by an irate Frenchman, confusions bloom, passions flare, and hilarity reigns, all in classic D.E. Stevenson style.

The Fair Miss Fortune, written in 1938, was originally (rather bafflingly) rejected by D.E. Stevenson''s publisher. It only finally appeared in print in a limited edition from Greyladies in 2011, and Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press are delighted to make it more widely available with this new edition. It also includes archival letters between the author and her agent, and an autobiographical sketch by D.E. Stevenson.

"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail

"Now, listen to me," said Mr. Green earnestly. "I''ve brought up my little girl as a girl should be brought up. I''ve sheltered her from the world. She''s uncontaminated by the modern ideas-uncontaminated. What d''you think of that?"

Young George Ferrier''s frivolous jaunt in London ends with an unexpected encounter with wealthy Mr. Green, old friend of his father, who spontaneously drafts George to be a trustee for his daughter Elma. George accepts (primarily due to the payment involved) and puts it out of his mind, returning home to his high-spirited Irish mother, distracted astronomer father, and friends Peter Seeley and his sister Cathy. But Mr. Green''s sudden death-and the discovery that his fellow trustees are distinctly on the shady side-launches George into a series of rollicking adventures as he attempts to secure the overly-sheltered Elma''s wealth, protect her from fortune-hunters, and shield her from her own naïve instincts.

First published in 1939 and out of print for many years, Green Money is a delightful tale of fortune and fraud, innocence and experience-and of course romance. This new edition includes an autobiographical sketch by D.E. Stevenson.

"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail

"Do you know anything about her, Richard?"

"Nothing except that she lives in London, is obviously well off and very impulsive. . . . She bought the house as if it were-a bun. She bought it straight off without seeing it."

"She must be mad!"

The arrival of novelist Kate Hardy at the lovely Dower House in Old Quinings, with her staunch ally and housekeeper Martha, has the whole village talking. But Kate is not in fact mad, merely in need of escape from her selfish sister Milly and spoiled niece Minty. Though welcomed warmly by Richard Morven at the Manor House and the charming, widowed Mrs. Stark, Kate likewise finds herself taken for a witch and is then one of the targets of a poison pen campaign-not to mention the rumours that her new home is haunted by its past inhabitant. With the arrival of Mrs. Stark''s son Walter, back from his wartime triumphs and finding readjustment to village life difficult, Kate may find that the country allows her as little time for writing as London!

First published in 1947 and providing a fascinating glimpse of English life in the immediate postwar years, Kate Hardy is an irresistible tale of village life, challenging family relations, romance, and D.E. Stevenson''s incomparable storytelling. Also included in this edition is an autobiographical sketch by the author.

"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail

Sometimes she wished she could stick up a large notice saying: "FOUR CHILDREN ARE NOT TOO MANY" . . .

Raising four young children on her own in the years of postwar rationing, widowed Dinah tends to be the subject of sympathetic murmurs. But though she has little money, is perpetually tired, and remains haunted by unresolved issues from her troubled marriage, Dinah rejects all offers of pity. When her twin brother Dan returns from the military, he sends her and the children on holiday among the scenes of their childhood, staying with their unflappable Nannie at Craigie Lodge, their old family home, in a beautiful coastal town in Scotland. There, amidst happy memories, old friends, and new acquaintances, Dinah and her brood weather delightful adventures, awkward misunderstandings, and, perhaps, the tentative beginnings of new romance.

First published in 1949, Young Mrs. Savage is a charming holiday story, a perceptive tale of overcoming past unhappiness to make a fresh start, and one of D.E. Stevenson''s most irresistible novels. This new edition includes an autobiographical sketch by the author.

"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail