Minding the Manor: The Memoir of a 1930s English Kitchen Maid
A former kitchen maid conducts a guided tour of a bygone era in this entertaining recounting of life below stairs. After leaving school at age 14, Mollie Browne took a position as a scullery maid for a toff with both a townhouse in London and a manor in Norfolk. Much more than a dull recitation of duties and directives, this chatty memoir provides a glimpse into a vanishing lifestyle as well as a window into the dreams and desires of a spirited young woman eager for adventure and romance. With the wildly popular Downton Abbey series rapidly marching through the decades, this eyewitness portrait of domestic life between the two world wars provides some fascinating yet realistic background for both fans and social historians. --Margaret Flanagan