by Jo Baker
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Published: 2013
Publisher: Vintage
Genre: Historical, Jane Austen, Romance
Paperback: 331 pages
Rating: 5
The servants take center stage in this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice. While Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters fuss over balls and husbands, Sarah, their orphaned housemaid, is beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When a new footman arrives at Longbourn under mysterious circumstances, the carefully choreographed world she has known all her life threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
Mentioned only fleetingly in Jane Austen’s classic, here Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Regency England and, in doing so, uncovers the real world of the novel that has captivated readers’ hearts around the world for generations.
My two-bits:
Loved how this story parallels Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and includes snippets from it.
The not so pleasant side of some of the P&P characters are revealed. And, we get a dose of just how bad Mr. Wickham can be. Eeek!
It was refreshing to read about the doings in the regency period from the servants perspectives. The nitty gritty household chores involved in running Longbourn was somewhat fascinating to read about.
We also get to see the kinds of love and romance amongst the lower class people of the time. The romantic experiences of the main character, Sarah, were just as fun to read about as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.
This story also goes a bit beyond Pride and Prejudice's storyline in that there is a glimpse into Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's household activities at Pemberley.
* listened to audio version
* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge (details) - square: Romance or Love Story
* added to COYER challenger/scavenger hunt (details)
