The Tall Stranger

Spring came slowly to Underwoods. It was the most beautiful spring Barbie had ever seen, for after lingering in the shadows so long she was in love with life . . .
Barbie France has come home to Underwoods, the lovely Cotswolds house where she grew up, following a breakdown and a dreadful time in hospital. Barbie's kind Aunt Amalie, her indomitable companion Miss Penney, and the beauties of nature aid her rapid recovery, only dampened by a troubled romance with Amalie's stepson Edward, whom Barbie hasn't seen in years and whose character seems to have changed. When Barbie returns to her successful career as a decorator, new challenges and pleasures await, include a delightful trip to a castle in Scotland, which bears fruit both professional and private.
First published in 1957, The Tall Stranger is a sparkling tale of a spirited, independent young woman finding her way in life, and the unforgettable characters and adventures she encounters along the way. This new edition features an autobiographical sketch by the author.
"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail

Born in Edinburgh in 1892, Dorothy Emily Stevenson came from a distinguished Scottish family, her father being David Alan Stevenson, the lighthouse engineer, first cousin to Robert Louis Stevenson.In 1916 she married Major James Reid Peploe (nephew to the artist Samuel Peploe). After the First World War they lived near Glasgow and brought up two sons and a daughter. Dorothy wrote her first novel in the 1920's, and by the 1930's was a prolific bestseller, ultimately selling more than seven million books in her career. Among her many bestselling novels was the series featuring the popular "Mrs. Tim", the wife of a British Army officer. The author often returned to Scotland and Scottish themes in her romantic, witty and well-observed novels.During the Second World War Dorothy Stevenson moved with her husband to Moffat in Scotland. It was here that most of her subsequent works were written. D.E. Stevenson died in Moffat in 1973.