Out of the Dark

by Norah Lofts

When young John Vincent died, the outward respectability of the Cornwall household was undermined. Strangers pried, asked too many questions and pointed accusing fingers at Charlotte - herself eager to escape from the oppressive atmosphere of her father's home. She fled deep into the countryside and there taught at a school run by the untrusting and untrustworthy Mrs Armitage, who was prepared to keep quiet about Charlotte's past - but only up to a point. When the events come to be recreated, some questions naturally arise. Had Charlotte been responsible for the death of the little pupil she loved? And has that crime been repeated? In darker moments, even Charlotte herself cannot be sure.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic, Fiction, Crime, Romance, Historical, British Literature

364 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Norah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.

Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.

Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years before, Charlotte Cornwall's little stepbrother was kidnapped and found murdered. According to circumstantial evidence, Charlotte was implicated. And even though she was acquitted, Charlotte Cornwall was notorious.

Now Charlotte had a new name and a new life. She taught at Homelands - a nice school for nice young women. However, suddenly, some of the things that begin to happen around Charlotte aren't nice at all. The old suspicions are returning. And this time Charlotte is not sure that she can escape the consequences. I give this an A+!

[Edie Schmoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every story by this talented author is fantastic! I would buy any book of hers sight unseen/subject unknown.

[Batool Khamdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do recommend reading this book. It's my first time reading for Norah Lofts and I was completely fond of the way she writes. First of all, this book is based on true story which made the book even greater because the writer made you feel some of what the true girl who had been accused before with the same dead that the protagonist had been accused with..throughout the novel, the story of Charlotte Cornwall was told with passion and this what I liked the most about it. However, the book shared exactly what selfishness means, all the characters were not thinking of anything except their oneself, mr. Vincent for his own reputation, Rose for her own sake and her love and so as mrs. Armitage who cares only for the reputation of her institution and mrs. Augusta that cared only for her rules that in her own opinion, no one should break or interfere in. However, except for Charlotte who cared for all the people that she has loved in her life, Starting with her family, specially Vincent, moving to have a new friend Mrs. lamb, ending with her pupil Sophie. For me, this novel will have a special place in my heart because it's dilemma is what made this novel more exciting. Last but not least, the novel carried suspense starting from the sudden disappearance of mrs.lamb to the reason how Sophie had died. My overall opinion is that I really recommend reading this book because it can surprise you with it's events.

[Carrie Dalby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second Norah Lofts book. She does twisted characters well! (Several "oh, no he/she didn't!" moments throughout.) What kept it from being a 4 star was all the POV changes. It's written in the all-knowing narrator style where you get into everyone's head--even minor characters. While interesting, it distanced me a bit too much and I didn't feel as much sympathy for the supposed main character, Charlotte, as I could have if it focused more on her. People--including family--make horrific choices and she suffered. Gothic, multi-generation turmoil, great settings, wide cast of interesting characters.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading Norah Lofts when I was younger, but don't think I read this exact book. This is a great picture of life in Victorian England with a little mystery and a lot of empathy for
the young. Loved it.

[barrieboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting book about about murders and sudden deaths in Victorian England. Some of the finer detail relating to housework and other household chores makes me wonder if it was written by a woman for the benefit of other like-minded women (am I allowed to say that?) but I suppose it does describe all aspects of Victorian life. Quite a sad story, nevertheless. And no foul language from Ms Lofts, unlike the produce of most of today's immature writers!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm putting this in the gothic category but it can't really be called a romance.

Intriguing. An interesting take on the Constance Kent/Rode Hill House murder.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had serious trouble reading this book. For some reason, it really bothered me how Charlotte got blamed for everything and the true culprints went on with their life. Maybe it was because I knew it was based on a true story. I found the book a little strange, which is I guess the beauty of a Norah Loft's suspense story. It was a good story, but it really affected me to the point that I almost stopped reading because I didn't want Charlotte to take the blame! It may have been my mood, and quite possibly may give it 4 stars if read at a different time

I kinda wished there had been a little more detail on "the rest of the story" like Rose and Charlotte's family.


NOTE: I also found what I would call a big editing mistake in the beginning of the story that bothered me. On pages 26, 81, 82, 83, 97, and through the remainder of the book Charlotte's father was referred to as "John" or "John Vincent" Cornwall. But on pages 31, 36, 43, 50, 51, 57, 59, 78 he is referred to as "Samuel Vincent" Cornwall. I am a detail person, so that just bothered me to the point that I stopped reading and flipped around to see where he was called what. If you go to the trouble of emphasizing a person's name that much, I tihnk you should make sure it is consistent in the story!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was the first Victorian themed novel I actually enjoyed.

[Gloria]

From the Companion Book Club. Not sure when I finished this, but guessing 1974

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was compelling, but I really felt that in some ways the story was more about Charlotte's father than it was about her. What an atrocious man. I was also bothered by the end of the book--we know she didn't kill her brother, but it appears that she really did kill the little girl due to her sleepwalking, unless I missed something. There were a few spots where lines seemed to be in the wrong place in the text, so maybe I did. Well-written, but I wouldn't read it again.

[L B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A variation on the story of Constance Kent

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just reread this book a couple of days ago, it was my “rescue book”. This means it rescued me while I was in the middle of reading a truly abominable book. I had to pause with the other book and reread a good book in order to give me the strength to press on with the other (don’t question my methods, they are my own and make perfect sense to me).

I first read Out of the Dark as either a young woman or as a teenager. I remembered it as being a wonderfully gothic book. I am now a middle aged woman, and upon rereading this book, I find my memory was half correct. The first part of the book centers on the Cornwall family and the brutal murder of the four year old Francis. Lofts leaves us in no doubt about who the murderer is and how and why it happened. This first part of the book was more like a crime story than gothic, because there is no mystery. This didn’t bother me as I like crime as well as mystery. As always, Lofts did an excellent job of conveying mood to her readers, we get to be in on everyone’s thoughts. I especially appreciated the thoughts and conversations between the “common folk”— the servants, police, and village people. The Cornwall family was a dysfunctional one to say the least.

The book is based on an actual case, the Constance Kent case. Young Constance stabbed her four year old brother to death and hid his body in the privy. She went to prison but was released twenty years later and either was sent or went to Australia with her brother. Constance became a nurse and lived to a ripe old age. It was never learned why she killed her little brother, it is suggested jealousy. Constance had confessed to the murder to a priest, so there is little doubt that she committed the act. However, some people theorize her brother killed the young child and Constance only helped.

In Lofts’ book, the young Charlotte Cornwall (Constance Kent) is innocent of the heinous crime. The poor child is accidentally smothered to death by his father while his father and the nanny are sleeping together. Young Francis awakes, gets scared about what he sees, and screams. His father jumps out of bed to quiet the child and accidentally kills him. The father is distraught and doesn’t know what to do, the nanny decides to take over the situation and takes the child’s body to the manure heap. She slashes his body open with a knife before hiding him in the manure because she remembers her farmer father doing the same thing to a pig so the decomposing pig would not stink. Of course, her nightgown gets filthy, so she hides it.

The circumstances around the missing night gown get a little convoluted, suffice it to say, young Charlotte is accused of the crime. Poor Charlotte! She is truly persecuted, but the kindly vicar’s wife gets Charlotte a teaching job at a girls’ school near Lowestoft. The second part of the book commences. This is the part of the book that becomes gothic. The school is run by Miss Armitage with an eye to profit over education. The only teacher is Miss Lamb, Miss Lamb is a lovely character- one of those inspirational teachers who put their hearts and souls into their jobs. I loved reading about how Miss Lamb and Charlotte tried to make the school the best they could with limited funds, it was touching when Miss Lamb spent her scanty salary on things for the school. Homelands is not nearly as bad as Lowood where Jane Eyre spent her pitiful school years, but it is bad enough. Miss Lamb is a little like Miss Temple, but probably more off kilter.

The gothic part of the story happens when Miss Lamb disappears and a student dies. Charlotte, a sleepwalker, wonders if she is responsible for the child’s death and perhaps her brother’s. This section of the book, while truly eerie is not textbook gothic because we know Charlotte is not responsible for her brother’s death, nor the young child.

The romance is kind of tacked on at the end, but it was really not a problem. I didn’t think it added nor detracted from the story. What was TRULY satisfying was all the abhorrent characters came to bad ends (even though these ends may not necessarily be judged bad by society- and may actually be viewed as coming up trumps, for the specific characters they really were bad ends).

Very enjoyable crime/gothic book in Lofts inimitable style. Recommended for people who enjoy Victorian crime, gothic books, and books with multiple points of view.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young woman is accused of murdering her four-year old brother.