I read The Wayside Tavern by Norah Lofts back in 2023 and it was one of my favourites of that year. Since then, when I’ve come across her books in used bookshops I’ve tended to snatch them up. One such was The Town House, which sounded similar to Wayside, in which the stories of multiple generations of people are told, with a house being the focal point. The Town House begins in the latter part of the 14th century, when Walter, a serf, defies his master and escapes to lead a different life than the one planned for him. What follows is an excellent portrayal of that period of time in the English countryside, when the feudal system and the chivalric age are fracturing. The Town House is actually the first in a trilogy, so now I’ll have to keep my eye out for the second book, The House at Old Vine.
Side note: I love these vintage covers in all their melodramatic style. Just as with my copy of Wayside, the scene depicted is not found in the book, and the sensationalism of it belies the historical quality of Norah Lofts’ writing. But I adore them notwithstanding.