Bel Lamington

In this, her newst novel, the beloved author of The Tall Stranger and Still Glides the Stream introduces one of her most memorable heroines—Bel Lamington, a gentle country girl who comes to live alone in the huge, anonymous city of London.

Bel, orphaned at the age of three, had shared a house with her Aunt Beatrice in the sleepy Sussex village of Southmere for as long as she could remember—and had grown to love the place with all her heart. When her aunt died, and their cottage was sold, Bel had to leave Southmere with its happy memories and take a position as a typist with a London shipping firm.

Bel liked her job, but the city, for all its noise and activity, was a lonely place, especially when one was shy about going out and making friends. Then the unexpected arrived—in the form of Mark Desborough, a charming young painter who literally “dropped in” on Bel’s roof-garden one spring afternoon.

As soon as she met Mark, a remarkable change came over Bel. She was gayer, livelier, more at ease with people—and the first to notice was Mr. Brownlee, her rather formidable—and attractive—boss.

But when Mark abruptly went off to Italy for an indefinite stay, the bottom of Bel’s bright new world dropped out. To make matters worse, she was seen lunching with James Copping, son of one of the firm’s partners—a harmless indiscretion that, ultimately, cost her her job. Seeking consolation the only way she knew, Bel journeyed to Scotland. It was there she discovered some truths about herself and others, and the fact that one cannot run away from the “right man” by hiding at “the back of beyond.”

D.E. Stevenson’s many fans will delight in Bel Lamington—a book made unforgettable, not only by its skillful portrayal of character, but also by the magic of its descriptions, the poignancy of its theme, and the freshness of its appeal.