The Lady's Maid

Product Information

If you like historical fiction with strong personalities, tangles built out of society’s expectations, a love story, and a touch of mystery, this is one not to miss. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.

I especially appreciated the clear presentation of the way different strata of society lived, demonstrated both in description and simple comments about how only the wealthy have the luxury of not knowing how much coin they possess.until a chance meeting forces them to face the truth of that night nearly twenty years before a truth turning both their worlds upside down and maybe breaking up their friendship for ever. Two desperate young mothers give up their babies on the same day, and while Kate grows up in poverty, Josie lives a privileged life. In this novel, they just seem to happen upon each other, in the wrong part of the country and for no apparent reason other than that it needs to happen to continue the story. This fit the bill: a princess and the pauper fairytale, as it were, with evil uncles and stepmother, two foundlings, honorable men (and a few dishonorable ones), and a story that rockets between country estates and London's East End, and a happy ending, of course.

Other than being Dumbledore's name in the Harry Potter books, I am not sure what the term meant in this book, as it wasn't used as a name, but I laughed when I figured this out. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband. Another flaw is that several times when the principle characters are at rock bottom, rescuers suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Dilly Court grew up in North-east London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. While some might protest the love story for Kate and Harry (a man whose wealth comes from trade), including Kate, there are enough historical accounts to show that love did defeat the class and wealth barriers, especially among those who earned their wealth. The first portrayal was enough to make me worry the author shared the views of that period, but then as the story unfolds, a much more nuanced view comes into play.

The Romany grandmother finds a safe home for this girl as well, both children growing up believing themselves legitimate. This novel set in the 19th century about two babies born to very different circumstances is compelling. The child of a noblewoman born out of wedlock is also in her care after she found the mother already in labor by the river. One of those feel good books that's quite predictable with its twists and turns but a fun read either way. Although the reader can see the way the book will go the reader stays interested and needs to find out how things unwind.

Until a chance meeting forces Kate and Josie to confront the truth of that night nearly twenty years before - a truth that turns both worlds upside down and threatens to destroy their friendship forever.

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. She lived in the rat infested stables with the smell of horses clinging to her hair and clothes, while Josephine Damerell, the spoilt, petted and over-indulged daughter of the house, dwelt in luxury.

Kate, on the other hand, takes charge of every circumstance with her practical hard working personality, overcoming every obstacle except her sense of place. I also feel these books should have a glossary to show the meaning of some words as I always have to refer to a dictionary for a number of words.