Jassy; Bless This House; Scent of Cloves; How Far to Bethlehem

Four complete and unabridged books in one volume. Classic writer Norah Lofts captures the essence of a bygone era in these stunning books. Jassy “Jassy” is narrated by a sequence of characters who knew the central figure—a half‑gypsy girl with second sight and a strong will. Born to a preacher father and a gypsy mother, Jassy grows up in precarious circumstances, facing suspicion and prejudice. She inspires both passionate loyalty and bitter enmity in those around her. As she matures, she becomes entwined in the fortunes of the Mortiboys estate, hearts are broken, alliances shift, and ultimately, she is unjustly condemned to hang. Bless This House This is a multi‑generational saga centered on a house called Merravay, built for a pirate rewarded by Queen Elizabeth. From its foundation onward, the house carries the weight of tragedy, ghosts, and a restless sense of incompleteness. Over about four hundred years, successive families—especially the Whymarks—inhabit it, each tested by love, betrayal, hardship, and the burdens of the past. The house seems almost to “call back” its rightful owners, and the narratives of its residents are interwoven through time, with the house itself as the central character. Scent of Cloves Set in the 17th century, this novel follows Julia Ashley, whose life is shaped by violence, loss, and identity struggles. As a child, Julia is whisked away during the turmoil of Cromwell’s campaigns in Ireland and raised by a nurse before being rescued by a Dutch sea captain. Later, as a young woman, she is sent to the Dutch East Indies in a “glove marriage” (i.e. married by proxy) to a man she has never met. In the exotic plantation setting of the island of Rua, Julia must navigate intrigue, cruelty, secret plots, and the tension between duty and love. The outcome is uncertain until the end. How Far to Bethlehem? This novel is a reimagining of the Nativity story told with a realistic and human perspective, giving voice to Mary, Joseph, the Magi, shepherds, the innkeeper, and others. Lofts fills in backstories and fleshes out the ordinary human struggles behind the Biblical narrative, portraying Mary and Joseph not as idealized figures but as people with hopes, doubts, and burdens. While rooted in the familiar Christmas story, the novel explores themes of faith, sacrifice, and the weight of divine mystery in human lives.