Crown of Aloes

Norah Lofts was one of the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, known for her authentic application of period detail to all her books. She was a bestselling author on both sides of the Atlantic, was born in Norfolk. She taught English and History at a girls' school before turning to writing full time in 1936. Her passion for old houses and their continuing history sparked off her much praised Suffolk trilogy, The Town House, The House at Old Vine and The House at Sunset. These were followed by the bestselling The Concubine, about Anne Boleyn and by The King's Pleasure, a novel about the life of Katharine of Aragon. Lofts wrote more than 50 books, including historical non-fiction and short stories.