Silver Nutmeg is a 1947 historical romance novel by Norah Lofts. It depicts colonial activities in the Dutch East Indies during the 17th century.
Plot The novel follows Annabet Van Goens, the daughter of a wealthy Dutch landowner who is forced into a "glove marriage" with colonial planter Evert Haan. Arriving in Dutch Indonesia, the sickly Annabet regains her health and becomes romantically entangled with a handsome Englishman.
Publication History Silver Nutmeg was first published in hardcover in the UK and Australia by Michael Joseph, in the United States by Doubleday, and in Canada by Ryerson Press.Keefer, Claire. "Novel of the Week, Selected and Reviewed for The Journal by Claire Keefer." The Ottawa Journal Vol. 62 No. 244 p16. 27 September 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. It is listed in the Irish Censorship Board's Register of Prohibited Publications.
The novel was published in the fall of 1947, around the time of Operation Product during which Dutch military action in Indonesia caused an international outcry and proved to be a major turning point in the Indonesian National Revolution. As such, many reviews saw fit to mention the timeliness of Silver Nutmeg'''s publication. In a positive review for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Amos Melton predicted that the novel "would have some political significance in light of the current revolt of the Indonesians against the Dutch."Melton, Amos. "Strange Love Story Mixed With Politics and Economics." Fort Worth Star-Telegram Vol. 67 No. 233 Sec. 2 p11. 21 September 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. F.W. Russell Smith likewise wrote that the novel was "of special interest today, when a native revolt like that in the novel has set up the Indonesian Republic." Smith, F.W. Russell. "Norah Lofts' New Novel a Tale of Love in Indonesia." The Plain Dealer Vol. 106 No. 236 p15-B. 24 August 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. For her review in The Atlantic, Phoebe Lou Adams wrote that, while "the world of which Mrs. Lofts writes may be long ago and far away, but the pattern of events against which her seventeenth-century Dutch planters move is familiar enough."Adams, Phoebe Lou. "Silver Nutmeg." The AtlanticOctober 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026.
ReceptionSilver Nutmeg received positive reviews, with many commenters praising Lofts' ability to make the character's adventures and emotions relatable to modern readers. A reviewer for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix commended the "brazenly romantic" work: "Fundamental issues of the time, between empire and empire, black and white, men and men and men and women, are presented not only as issues of that time, but as issues of all times."R.S. "A Spicy Tale Of Spicy Isle." The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix Vol. 46 No. 2 p10. 18 October 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. The Sydney Daily Telegraph offered a particularly effusive review:
F.W. Russell Smith called the novel "somewhat melodramatic in its plot" but "skillfully and convincingly told." Smith, F.W. Russell. "Norah Lofts' New Novel a Tale of Love in Indonesia." The Plain Dealer Vol. 106 No. 236 p15-B. 24 August 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. Amos Melton called it "a rattling good tale" and Lofts' best novel to dat.Melton, Amos. "Strange Love Story Mixed With Politics and Economics." Fort Worth Star-Telegram Vol. 67 No. 233 Sec. 2 p11. 21 September 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. Writing for the Norfolk Ledger-Star, Clarence Walton called it "a stirring tale and one with a firm historical background."Walton, Clarence. "Book Markers." The Ledger-Star Vol. CXXXVIII No. 52 p8. 29 August 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. Claire Keefer of the Ottawa Journal wrote that Silver Nutmeg is "rich in romantic and dramatic interest" and that it "possesses all the enchantment suggested by the lovely title."Keefer, Claire. "Novel of the Week, Selected and Reviewed for The Journal by Claire Keefer." The Ottawa Journal Vol. 62 No. 244 p16. 27 September 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026. Ruth Campbell, reviewer for The Tennessean , wrote that Silver Nutmeg'' "holds all the excitement that can be crammed into a novel" and posted that it would reward re-readings and "would make a perfectly swell movie."Campbell, Ruth. "Tale of Adventure in Indies." The Tennessean Vol. 41 No. 118 p31-A. 7 September 1947. Accessed 2 January 2026.
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