num_pages: 406
description: 'Vastly original. Bessy is surely one of the most striking characters in recent fiction: cynical, disruptive, tender and very, very funny.' Independent on SundayShortlisted for the Orange PrizeScotland, 1863. In an attempt to escape her past, Bessy Buckley takes a job working as a maid in a big country house. But when Arabella, her beautiful mistress, asks her to undertake a series of bizarre tasks, Bessy begins to realise that she hasn't quite landed on her feet. In one of the most acclaimed debuts of recent years, Jane Harris has created a heroine who will make you laugh and cry as she narrates this unforgettable story about secrets and suspicions and the redemptive power of love and friendship.
language: English
title: The Observations
titlecomplete: The Observations
genres: Fiction, Historical, Gothic, Mystery, Scotland, Adult, Adult Fiction, 19th Century, Historical Fiction, Victorian
ratings_count: 7148
places: Scotland
awards: awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Orange Prize
category: Fiction Shortlist
publisher: Faber and Faber