Writer and Historian

1936 – 1993

Irene Northan also wrote under the pseudonyms

Nerina Thorne

Elizabeth Lowther

Literary Agent;

Rene (as she was known to her friends) was born on Tyneside, NE England
but moved to South Devon with her parents at the age of 10. She trained
as a teacher, specialising in history. Her research led to countless articles
on history, travel, social customs, and short stories appearing in a wide
variety of newspapers and magazines at home and abroad. After receiving
over 100 rejection slips, her first novel, ‘PHYLLIDA’, was published in
1976. A steady stream of books followed, which she fitted in between caring
for her husband and two daughters, becoming a founder member of Brixham
Writers’ Circle, a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, Librarian
of Brixham Museum, and Reader for the South West Arts.

Rene enjoyed meeting readers and writers in all genre, fiction and non-fiction.
She gave talks at various writers’ schools and clubs across the country,
often acting as an awards adjudicator for competitions throughout SW England.

Until her death in June 1993 Rene had written 20 fiction titles and
1 non-fiction. These have generated 47 reprints, 28 of them being issued
posthumously. Her Devon trilogy, TO DREAM AGAIN, A SAFE HAVEN and DAUGHTER
OF THE RIVER, her last novels, were re-issued in paperback in 2000 by Caxton
Group Publishing, 20 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QA.

TO DREAM AGAIN (published June 2000)

When Mercy Seaton meets Peter Lisburne at the annual Torquay regatta she
regards him as a rich boy toying with a poor girl. But she likes him, and
he genuinely likes her. In the sweet young laundress Peter finds an escape
from his mother’s cloying world of social obligations. Before long he had
swept Mercy into marriage and a life of luxury at which her enigmatic grandmother’s far-fetched tales of past wealth had only hinted.

Mercy soon realises she cannot force her husband’s friends into accepting
her. Despite her discomfort in the drawing-rooms of Edwardian society she
is beginning to win friends of her own. One in particular looks set to
change the course of her life for ever. When the Great War intervenes and
the Depression in its aftermath, the Lisburnes’ fortune is virtually wiped
out. Great sacrifices are to be made if the family are to remain in England,
and it is at this point Mercy has a dream, founded in reality, which might
just solve all their problems…

A SAFE HAVEN (published March 2000)

Hardly out of childhood, Amy Kennedy, and fellow orphans Seth, Jay and
Daisy are sent from the Lambeth Workhouse in London to the Devon port of
Brixham to be taken into service, the girls as maidservants, the boys as
apprentices on a trawler. Although her initiation into her job is hard,
Amy quickly finds her feet, and shortly her horizons are brightened by
an attentive young man, Daniel Newton, the son of a prosperous sea captain.
The others fare less well; Daisy is clearly miserable in her work and,
despite Jed’s protection, dreamy Seth founders in the harsh realities of
a fisherman’s life.

As time passes Mercy grows very worried about Daisy who, swearing her
friend to secrecy, finally confides that she is the powerless victim of
her employer’s sexual abuse. Then the tragedy Amy had feared might happen
becomes reality – a tragedy which is to have far-reaching repercussions,
not only on Daisy, but on Seth, Jed and Amy herself…

DAUGHTER OF THE RIVER (published March 2000)

Pretty Maddy Shillabeer had long resigned herself to the fact that her
lot in life was to care for her widowed father and her hard-living, troublesome
brothers. In any case, were she to marry she would have hardly any choice
of suitors since the number of eligible men was limited. One in particular,
Cal Whitcomb, a kinsman of hers, could never be considered, as his family,
according to her father, had appropriated the rich Devon land that was
rightfully theirs; instead of farming the Shillabeers had had to turn to
salmon fishing on the River Dart, and they carried a grudge against the
Whitcombs for it ever since.

One day a new arrival appears at Duncannon – Patrick Howard, who finds
employment as a pot-boy in an inn at nearby Stoke Gabriel. Soon he has
supplanted the ancient Henry Beer as the village fiddler and leader of
the church band. And, to the great consternation of her brothers, he has
charmed his way into their Maddy’s heart…

Historical Romance as Irene Northan

Entries marked * indicates posthumous publication.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE under the pseudonym

ELIZABETH LOWTHER

MODERN ROMANCE under pseudonym NERINA THORNE

Entries marked * indicates posthumous publication.

NON-FICTION under own name IRENE NORTHAN

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