Standalone Novels
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereign’s Key | 1969 | Buy |
| Far Seeks The Heart | 1970 | Buy |
| Sail A Jewelled Ship | 1971 | Buy |
| The Shripney Lady | 1972 | Buy |
| Valley of the Reindeer | 1973 | Buy |
| Red Cherry Summer | 1973 | Buy |
| Fair Wind Of Love | 1974 | Buy |
| Souvenir from Sweden | 1974 | Buy |
| To Dream Of Snow | 1974 | Buy |
| The Smuggler’s Bride | 1975 | Buy |
| The Marlows | 1977 | Buy |
| Ride The Blue Riband | 1977 | Buy |
| The Frenchwoman | 1977 | Buy |
| To Love a Stranger | 1978 | Buy |
| Devil’s Fire, Love’s Revenge | 1978 | Buy |
| Banners Of Silk | 1981 | Buy |
| Gilded Splendour | 1982 | Buy |
| Jewelled Path | 1983 | Buy |
| What The Heart Keeps | 1984 | Buy |
| This Shining Land | 1985 | Buy |
| Tree Of Gold | 1986 | Buy |
| The Silver Touch | 1987 | Buy |
| To Dance With Kings | 1988 | Buy |
| Circle Of Pearls | 1990 | Buy |
| The Golden Tulip | 1991 | Buy |
| The Venetian Mask | 1992 | Buy |
| The Sugar Pavilion | 1993 | Buy |
| Portrait Of Eliza | 1994 | Buy |
| The Fortuny Gown Aka Orchids And Diamonds | 1995 | Buy |
| The Fragile Hour | 1996 | Buy |
| New World, New Love | 2002 | Buy |
| Brilliance | 2007 | Buy |
| Garlands Of Gold | 2009 | Buy |
| The House By The Fjord | 2011 | Buy |
The Warwycks Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Warwyck’s Wife / Warwyck’s Woman | 1974 | Buy |
| Claudine’s Daughter | 1978 | Buy |
| The Warwycks of Easthampton / Warwyck’s Choice | 1980 | Buy |
Barbara Ovstedal (1921-2012) was a British author who published more than 40 historical novels, the majority under her best-known pen name, Rosalind Laker. Born Barbara Geils in Bognor Regis, she married a Norwegian airman named Inge Ovstedal in 1945 and moved to Norway after the birth of their daughter. Her Norwegian life gave her a personal connection to Scandinavian settings that appear in several of her books, including This Shining Land (set during the German occupation of Norway) and The House By The Fjord.
Her novels typically center on women working in specific trades or arts across European history. To Dance With Kings (1988) follows four generations of women whose lives are bound up with Versailles, from the reign of the Sun King through the French Revolution. Banners Of Silk (1981) traces the rise of fashion designer Charles Worth through the eyes of a Parisian seamstress. The Golden Tulip (1991) is set in 17th-century Holland during the era of Rembrandt and Vermeer, while Circle Of Pearls (1990) depicts an English Royalist family during the Cromwell period. Her careful historical research and focus on women’s stories earned her a loyal readership, and her books were translated into more than 20 languages.