The Concubine (41 page)

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. She was born in Norfolk and 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
,
The King’s Pleasure
, a novel about the life of Katharine of Aragon, and
Eleanor the Queen
, a novel about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Lofts wrote more than 50 books, including historical nonfiction and short stories.